Category: Punting

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…

By Michael Guerin Unbeaten filly Millwood Nike’s spring campaign is back on track after a winning trial at Ashburton on Tuesday. The 15-from-15 filly missed her latest engagement at Ashburton last week because of a stable incident on the day of the race but was back at the same track for a 2400m standing start trial. And it wasn’t just any trial as she took on her stablemate and NZ Derby favourite Don’t Stop Dreaming and beat him home by a head. “They were both good and went to the…

By Jonny Turner A big week could get even bigger when Brendon Hill heads to Methven on Wednesday. The trainer takes two horses to a rescheduled meeting after producing Jimmy James Maguire to win the NZB Standardbred Sales Series Classic at Kaikoura on Monday. After brilliantly consistent form, the pacer finally nabbed a big race when leading throughout for his driver and part-owner Ricky May. “He was really good; you’ve just got to step and get handy out on that track, and that’s what he did,” Hill said. “The horse…

Join hosts Greg O’Connor and Michael Guerin for this week’s edition of The Box Seat. 

The shadow fields have now been decided for three key Group 1s during IRT New Zealand Cup and Show Week at Addington. The last heats for the Woodlands 2YO Colts and Geldings Sires’ Stakes, the Dunstan Horsefeeds 2YO Sires’ Stakes Fillies and the Nevele R Stud 50 Years of Success 3YO Fillies series were held at Ashburton on Labour Day (Monday, October 23). Cold Chisel’s victory in the 2YO Colts and Geldings heat sealed him a place in the final on IRT New Zealand Cup day on Tuesday, November 14,…

By Michael Guerin Two imposing victories less than 24 hours apart have left the IRT New Zealand Trotting Cup feeling like a two-horse race. Of course it isn’t. The $750,000 Cup at Addington on November 14 will probably have its usual 15 starters but punters may now only have eyes for two. Many of those eyes will be on Akuta, who backed up his Flying Stakes win at Ashburton last Monday with an effortless stroll around to win the Alabar Kaikoura Cup. Akuta was cautiously away but was expertly handled…