Category: Punting

Beach Ball bounces into IRT New Zealand Cup field The final rankings are out for the IRT New Zealand Trotting Cup at Addington next Tuesday (Nov 14), with Beach Ball making the most of one last chance to make the field. Last week the Kevin Chapman-trained Somebeachsomewhere four-year-old was ranked 18th and three places away from the Cup field, but he is now up to 15th (and into the Cup field) after beating fellow Cup runners Macandrew Aviator, American Me and Republican Party at Addington last Friday night. A winner…

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. Motukarara Workouts Saturday 4th NovemberWeather Fine Track Good I Spy Diamonds (He’s Watching – Supreme Gem) The McDermott trained filly did a nice job to outfinish her 3 rivals. MR:2:10.1, 800m in 59.0, 400m in 28.5. This filly is a half to handy types in Ruby’s Delight (11 wins), Sophie & Topaz (3 wins each) and the dam won eight…

By Adam Hamilton Ladies In Red stamped herself as the best Australian mare of the modern era with a stunning Group 1 Queen of the Pacific at Melton last night. The mind blowing win moved trainer Emma Stewart to say: “She’s a freak.” Ladies In Red was having her just third run back from almost a year out and destroyed a vintage crop of mares – including Encipher and Amore Vita – to win by 11.6m. Her 1min53.8sec mile rate for 2760m took a thumping 1.8sec off the race record…

By Jonny Turner A good day out at Ascot Park is exactly what Kirstin Green’s team needs before New Zealand Cup week. The trainer-driver has Addington targets in mind for most of the strong seven-horse team she has entered. Betting Sensation will clash with her stablemate Carrera Sunset in a small but talented lineup of three-year-old fillies. After an excellent last-start second at the same track, Betting Sensation looks among the best of the Green team stepping out at Ascot Park. “I think Betting Sensation – she’ll have the fitness…

A huge line-up of items have been donated to Katie Cox’s Melbourne Cup fund-raising luncheon at Addington on Tuesday, November 7. The Canterbury-based trainer-driver has recently been diagnosed with an aggressive form of lung cancer. Her plight has prompted a massive outpouring of support from both within and outside the harness racing community, with more than $130,000 raised so far to help with her treatment and medication. High profile presenter and form analyst Greg O’Connor is organising the luncheon next Tuesday. It will be held at the Silks Lounge from…

Nominations are now open for the Unsung Heroes of our industry to be recognised at our Annual Awards evening in February next year. This award is to recognize the contribution to racing by either a horse or person who continually contributes to our sport. They are not the big winners of major races but the people or horses who keep our industry going. They are not necessarily paid for what they do or get the acknowledgement they deserve. From a horse perspective it is those horses that are not legends…

By Michael Guerin Magic Four is almost on a hiding to nothing. For most horses winning six races and and nearly $200,000 would be considered a pretty good career as a late four-year-old with the promise of more to come. But for Magic Four whatever lies ahead will almost certainly be the the encore to his finest performance after the night last year he upstaged what is now our biggest harness name. Magic Four of course caused one of the great upsets in NZ harness history when he won the NZB…