Category: Punting

By Jonny Turner The work has been done, and now it’s up to Kentuckiana Lodge’s stars, Republican Party and Krug, to give it their all in the IRT New Zealand Cup on Tuesday. Cran and Chrissie Dalgety will head to Addington with the knowledge that their horses are trained to the minute for New Zealand’s greatest harness race. After pleasing in their work leading into the big day, it is now up to the horses to bring their best to the track. “The days leading into big Group One races,…

By Adam Hamilton The last Aussie to train and drive a New Zealand Cup winner thinks Swayzee is the right horse to do it again. Champion driver Kerryn Manning became the first female to drive an NZ Cup winner when she teamed with Arden Rooney for a narrow but epic win at Addington in 2015. She became the first Aussie trainer to win the Cup since Jimmy O’Sullivan trained and drove My Lightning Blue to win in 1987. “I like what I’ve seen of Swayzee,” Manning said. “I had a…

By Jonny Turner Nathan Purdon can make his own mark and add to his family’s incredible harness racing legacy if Akuta can complete a perfect New Zealand Cup preparation at Addington on Tuesday. Purdon is in search of his first win in the country’s greatest harness race, an event his father and training partner Mark has dominated over the past decade. The casual harness racing fan may assume the younger of the Purdon pairing is very much the junior partner in their training partnership, but they might be surprised to…

Now that many of the very best horses are coming out to play we are regularly updating what’s happening at the trials right around the country. Here’s the latest installment. Pukekohe Workouts Saturday 11th NovemberWeather Fine Track Fast Lord Popinjay (7g Majestic Son – Petite Sunshine) The Matty White trained trotter started against the maiden pacers in a mob 2050m heat, settled well back in field of seven before improving to take over midrace, kept going strongly to place second behind Fifth And Final, beaten 3/4L. MR:2:05.8, 800m in 60.3,…

There have been some big movers for IRT New Zealand Cup Day at Addington, so here’s a race by race rundown of the most heavily supported runners. Race 1: Masterly opened $4.50, into $3.20Race 2: Luvstruck opened $12.00, into $9.00Race 3: Confessional opened $3.80, into $3.30Race 4: Mandalay Bay opened $4.50, into $2.80Race 5: Don’t Stop Dreaming opened $2.80, into $2.20Race 6: Who’s Delight opened $10.00, into 6.00Race 7: Millwood Nike opened $2.00, into 1.55Race 8: I Dream Of Jeannie opened $9.00, into $8.00Race 9: We Walk By Faith opened…

by Dave Di Somma, Harness News Desk Andre Poutama is hoping to go out with a bang at Palmerston North this afternoon. The Pukekohe-based trainer-driver has a good book of six drives at the mini meeting in what will be a finale of sorts. “It’s actually my last meeting there for the season,” says Poutama. With a young family of three children and work commitments at Lincoln Farms and training his own team of seven, Poutama says something had to give and that’s why he’s decided not to make the…

By Jonny Turner Balfour trainers Shane Matheson and Lisa Barrie are enjoying the calm before the storm. The couple have been enjoying a strong run of success recently which continued when Abadabadoo ran to victory at Wyndham yesterday. Though their horses are officially trained by Matheson, Barrie is an integral part of their training operation which they run alongside their crutching business. With summer approaching, Matheson and Barrie’s days are about to get longer as they work on farms across Northern Southland. With horses to train as well, the couple…

Here’s this week’s IRT New Zealand Cup Box Seat special with hosts Greg O’Connor and Michael Guerin.