By Michael Guerin New Zealand’s first Trot Slot race is confirmed and already has its first slot filled. The TAB Trot Slot will be run as expected alongside the Race by Grins at Cambridge on April 12 next year for a stake of $575,000, making it the richest trot race ever held in Australasia. It will have eight slots, most of them purchased by the connections of leading trotters so will have an old fashioned sweepstakes race feel to it. The eight slots have been taken by: TAB NZ, Aldebaran…
Category: Punting
Next stop Addington for Group 1-winning Aussie trotter
By Duane Ranger (courtesy of Redcliffe Paceway) Queenslander Tony Veivers has already laughed terminal cancer in the face, and now the 60-year-old is keen to create Australasian harness racing history with his Group 1-winning trotter, Not As Promised. While all the big pacing guns are flocking to the Sunshine State to try and win Inter Dominion glory starting this Saturday (December 1), Veivers has paid up to $30,000 in international return flights to try and become the first Australian owner to win the coveted $110,000 New Zealand Trotting Derby on…
Deny Everything upsets in Timaru Summer Cup
By Mike Love Deny Everything scored a well-earned victory when he won Saturday’s Tyre General Timaru Summer Cup at Phar Lap Raceway. The Mark Jones-trained seven-year-old capitalised on his good manners, securing the trail with driver Samantha Ottley before peeling off the back of the pacemaker and third placegetter Heisenberg, to win by one and a quarter lengths from Tanzania. “It was awesome, very satisfying,” says Ottley. “We’ve all had to be so patient with him. Everyone is rapt.” Deny Everything has had an interrupted career, having three wind operations…
Latest from the trials – November 28
Every week we look at the trials and workouts from right around the country. Who’s impressing and who looks ready to race? Pukekohe Workouts Saturday 25th NovemberWeather Fine Track fast Major Achievement (3g Art Major – Atom Queen) The Green-trained runner settled third of five and stayed there until stablemate and pacemaker Beaudiene Rocknroll went off stride 600m out, took the opportunity to take over and kept going strongly to hold his rivals at bay. MR:2:03.9, 800m in 59.0, 400m in 29.6. Maiden win was four starts ago and looks…
Nominations open for Stablehand of the Year Award
Nominations are now open for the Stablehand of the Year Award to be awarded at the annual NZB Standardbred Harness Racing NZ Awards night on 19th February 2024. Nominations can be sent in by trainers who employ a stablehand who always goes the extra mile, has the horses best interests at heart, always puts in 100% and and has a fantastic working attitude. All nominations must be emailed to courtney@hrnz.co.nz by Thursday 7th December at 5pm. Nominations must include a couple of paragraphs as to why you are nominating and…
Aussie News – 27th November
NEXT stop New Zealand for Australia’s top three-year-old trotter Not As Promised. Father-son training team Graham and Layne Dwyer said they were looking forward to facing the best of the Kiwis after Not As Promised snared his second Group 1 victory of the season at Melton last night. First came the Victoria Trotters’ Derby as a rank outsider, but Not As Promised was a $2 favourite when he worked to front and won as he liked in the $75,000 Breeders Crown final last night. “It’s a relief to get this…
Wederell bags the bling
By Mike Love Betterwithbling got a well deserved win when he won the Moore Walker Davey Searells Accountants Mobile pace at Banks Peninsula yesterday. West Melton trainer Jesse Wederell could not be happier with the result. “He always tries his best! I’m very very happy with him,” said Wederell. Betterwithbling, the 7 year old Betterthancheddar gelding, went forward off the gate and sat parked the entire journey for driver Carter Dalgety. At the top of the straight Betterwithbling took the race to pacemaker Flyaway, which escalated into a dog fight…
Deny Everything wins Timaru Cup
By Mike Love Deny Everything scored a well earned victory when he won the Tyre General Timaru summer cup yesterday at Phar Lap raceway. The Mark Jones trained seven year old A Rocknroll Dance gelding capitalised on his good manners, securing the trail all the way with driver Samantha Ottley before peeling off the back of pacemaker and placegetter Heisenberg, to win by 1 and a quarter lengths from runner up Tanzania. “It was awesome. Very satisfying, Said Ottley. “We’ve all had to be so patient with him. Everyone is…
Ottley shooting for 700th at Mot
By Mike Love Samantha Ottley is poised to bring up her 700th driving win today at Banks Peninsula with seven solid chances. Coming into today’s meeting off the back of a Timaru Cup victory yesterday behind Deny Everything, Ottley is sitting on 699 wins in the sulky, and is hopeful of some success today. “I had been sitting on 698 for a while until yesterday, so now on 699 it’ll happen when it happens and it will be what it will be. But hopefully I’m not stuck on it for…
Swayzee heads to Inter Dominion
NEW Zealand Cup hero Swayzee will take his place in the Brisbane Inter Dominion. After much debate and uncertainty, trainer Jason Grimson has confirmed Swayzee will headline a team of pacers he is taking to Brisbane for the opening round of heats at Albion Park on Friday night. Grimson is trying to become the first trainer to win three successive Inter Dominion pacing finals with different horses after Boncel Benjamin won in Sydney in 2021 and I Cast No Shadow did it in Melbourne last year. And Swayzee is aiming…