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 Friday 20th OctoberWeather Fine Track fast Mantra Blue (3f Sweet Lou – Kamwood Blue Chip) The unbeaten filly driven by trainer Zac Butcher led for fun and kept going strongly to just hold out Kahlua Flybye (trailed 3rd of 4), with the winner looking to have plenty in reserve. MR:2:02.2., 800m in 56.2, 400m in 27.4 She now…
Category: Punting
Ashburton – the best of the rest
By Michael Guerin Yesterday’s Ashburton meeting was one of the strongest harness racing programmes of the season and the best form guide to New Zealand Cup week.Here is what unfolded in the other features outside of the two open class races: Race 4, Two-Year-Old Pacing Fillies: Treacherous Love continued the great recent run of North Island-trained horses at the south’s biggest meetings when she bolted away for trainer Brent Mangos. She went straight to the front and driver Ricky May got away with a very slow early section before she…
Muscle Mountain too good once again
By Michael Guerin Nobody would have begrudged driver Ben Hope the rarest of all racing celebrations at Ashburton if he had had the audacity to launch into a double whip salute. Hope restricted himself to just one though as Muscle Mountain strode to one of the easiest wins of his career in the What The Hill Trotters Sprint, the salute dedicated to the great trotter’s late owner Ian Dosbon who died last week. Dobson showed faith in Ben when many others lacked it, allowing him to drive Muscle Mountain throughout…
Akuta and Muscle Mountain’s double for “Dobbie”
By Jonny Turner Cool, calm, and collected is the only way to describe Olivia Thornley’s winning drive behind superstar pacer Akuta in the Ashburton Flying Stakes at Ashburton on Monday. Thornley set up the first leg of a winning double for the late Ian Dobson and his family as Akuta strode to an easy win just a matter of minutes before Muscle Mountain took out the Ashburton Trotters Flying Mile. Pulling on Ian ‘Dobbie’ Dobson’s green colours to drive the New Zealand Cup favorite put all eyes firmly on Thornley…
Fergusons winning on both sides of the Tasman
By Dave Di Somma, Harness News Desk It’s a five and a half hour drive from Hamilton to Palmerston North but Peter Ferguson made it worth his while with three wins and two seconds from five drives at Monday’s mini-meeting at Manawatu. “They weren’t all turn up and win types that’s for sure so to have a day like that is bloody good.” Ferguson combined with Always Flyin, Greater Good and Luka Doncic to go back to back to back in races two, three and four, with second placings in…
Bucket List drives Spirit Of St Louis’ NZ Cup trip
by Adam Hamilton Spirit Of St Louis’s New Zealand Cup raid is driven by the bucket list of his part-owners Summit Bloodstock and Aaron Bain Racing. The emerging Aussie syndication force has enjoyed a stellar 2023 and wants to add to it with victory NZ’s most iconic pacing race. Summit Bloodstock and Aaron Bain Racing (ABR) successfully used their slot in the Race by Grins at Cambridge back in April to partner with winner Copy That. On the same night, they went close to a remarkable double when Spirit Of…
Lovemeto makes Vic Derby Statement
by Adam Hamilton Exciting Kiwi trotter Lovemeto can wind back the clock a little in the Group 1 Victoria Trotters’ Derby. There was a time when quality Kiwi raiders made the classic their own. Houdini Star won it for John Hay in 2006 and Phil and Nathan Williamson combined to win with Springbank Richard the following year. There was a bit of a gap then John and Josh Dickie brought across Speeding Spur to win in 2015. The next year it was trotting maestro Paul Nairn and Wilmas Mate winning…
Muscle Mountain looking for boost
By Michael Guerin Driver Ben Hope says it is time to wake Muscle Mountain up. Not that New Zealand’s most naturally-talented trotter has been sleeping on the job, just more resting a little earlier than he should judging by his latest outing at Addington. Muscle Mountain goes into today’s $40,000 What The Hill Trotter’s Sprint at Ashburton in the rare position of having been beaten last start, even more rarely by a horse coming from behind him. He made a brilliant standing start beginning to lead off a 20m handicap…
Thornley ready for big day at Ashburton
A quick chat with Olivia Thornley reveals she is hardly crumbling under the pressure ahead of one of the biggest days of her harness racing career. Thornley heads to Magic Monday at Ashburton to combine with three of the brightest stars in New Zealand in Akuta, Millwood Nike, and Oscar Bonavena. Dexter Dunn was perhaps the last junior to handle so much horsepower in one day as a junior driver. The suspension of Mark Purdon and unavailability of Natalie Rasmussen has Thornley taking centre stage behind the elite trio as…
Hazer making dreams come true
Dreams came true when Hazer prevailed in a thrilling finish to the Tuapeka Cup at Ascot Park yesterday. With horses spread across the track, the chestnut sped along the passing lane to score a highlight victory in the careers of trainer Chris Gerken and driver Kerryn Tomlinson. Hazer is raced by the Nickels For Pickles syndicate, a name inspired by his trainer’s surname. The syndicate is made up of Gerken, wife Sonia, their four daughters Mallory, Tarryn, Kelly, and Haylea, as well as their respective partners. Though they weren’t convinced…