By Jonny Turner The Canterbury raid is on ahead of Group 1 Ascot Park Hotel Invercargill Cup Day. As they have done ahead of several of Southland’s best meetings in the past, Stonewall Stud’s Canterbury team are in the south to compete in the final southern lead up meeting before Invercargill’s big day on December 20. Trainer Amanda Telfer is in Southland with three talented fillies who will be boost their Invercargill Cup Day hopes with victories at Winton on Thursday. As a race winner, Spicey Crunch looks handily placed…
Category: Punting
Abernethy aiming for more success at Manawatu today
By Brigette Solomon Driver Jay Abernethy has already scored a winning double at Manawatu this week and hopes his luck will continue tonight with a handy book of five drives that include both Tuesday’s winners. Abernethy’s first win on Tuesday was with the Arna Donnelly trained Rough And Ready who took out the Hawera Harness Racing Is Good To Go Are You? Mobile Pace. Abernethy quickly found the front to dictate the pace throughout. The Somebeachsomewhere gelding was full of running and looked in no danger of being beat in…
The Box Seat – Dec 11
Check out this week’s The Box Seat with Matt Cross and Greg O’Connor
News Briefs : Dec 11
A remarkable father and son trans-Tasman success story, a milestone for Murray Gibbs, and changes to the feature race calendar and the Rangiora trials all feature in this week’s News Briefs. Two wins, two countries, same time Father and son Kirk and Tristan Larsen (pictured above) completed a remarkable double on Sunday, winning races at the same time in two different countries. Kirk drove Falcon’s Watch, paying $23.90, to win at Wingatui in Otago while Tristan reined home Maestro, also at double figure odds ($14) to win the Gunbower Trotters…
Early 21st birthday present for Crystal Hackett at AYDC
Crystal Hackett’s having a week she’ll never forget across the Tasman. Today the talented junior turns 21, just a day after winning the second heat of the Australasian Young Drivers’ Championships (AYDC) in Sydney. She’ll mark her birthday with two more drives at Bathurst tonight, at 8.37pm and 10.03pm. Hackett’s competing in her third AYDC. Yesterday her win at Menangle came with Cabana. It was a Kiwi quinella, with Our Chiquitita and Sam Thornley second. “We were a day early and to drive a winner on my birthday would be…
Dalgety’s late bid for the Junior Drivers’ premiership
By Jonny Turner Wednesday’s racing at Oamaru could make or break Carter Dalgety’s national junior drivers premiership hopes. The midweek meeting is at the beginning of an impressive line-up of drives Dalgety has over the coming five days. Dalgety (52) heads to Oamaru eight wins behind premiership leader Sam Thornley (60)who has a five-win lead over Wilson House (55), though this week Thornley is away at the Australasian Young Drivers Championships. While Dalgety knows catching to two talented drivers in front of him is a huge ask, he knows it…
Tact McLeod returns to action at Menangle this Saturday
By Adam Hamilton Tact McLeod’s Inter Dominion campaign may have been thwarted, but the emerging Kiwi pacer will chase some other big races in Australia. Trainer Mark Jones confirmed the Bendigo, Ballarat and Hunter Cups were on the menu for the gelding, who was scratched from a late bid at the NSW Inter Dominions with an abscess. Tact McLeod, who hasn’t raced since a luckless fifth in the Group 1 NZ Free-For-All at Addington on November 15, will return to racing in a support race at Menangle at Saturday…
Tough draw for Princess in Queen of Hearts
By Michael Guerin Last Friday’s stunning Alexandra Park debutante Princess Meritaten faces an even tougher task when she returns for the $100,000 Woodlands Stud Queen of Hearts this week. Princess Meritaten’s win had to be seen to be believed as she flew home from a seemingly hopeless position to win on her northern debut last Friday. It looked the perfect lead-in to this Friday’s Group 1 but the Canterbury mare has not fared well in the barrier draw for the fillies and mares mobile 2200m. She has drawn the outside…
Poutama with good chances at Manawatu today
A big Auckland meeting, featuring two $100,000 Group 1s, will highlight harness racing action this week. Manawatu will kick start the week with eight races today (Tuesday) starting at 4.21pm with Oamaru tomorrow and then Winton’s meeting on Thursday. Friday Night Lights will feature an Auckland-Addington double-header. The $100,000 Group 1 TAB Queen of Diamonds Handicap Trot and the Queen of Hearts Pace for the Fillies and Mares will be the night’s two features, along with the $60,000 Group 2 Franklin Cup and the latest Northern Metro Pacers and Trotters…
Update on the stable audit review and welfare inspections
The Racing Integrity Board (RIB) has completed its review of the animal welfare audit program. Following valuable feedback from industry stakeholders we are introducing a revised system of steward’s inspections. This change underscores our commitment to addressing industry concerns and establishes an inspection model that emphasises practicality, enhances collaboration, and ensures a balanced and effective approach to compliance monitoring. At the same time, it reinforces our legislative responsibility to uphold high standards of animal welfare. By transitioning from the formal audit program to this more streamlined and cooperative process, we…