A 23-race Friday night, the re-appearance of a champ, and a milestone for the Smiths all feature in this week’s News Briefs.
Bumper dual venue Friday night
This week will see the first 12-race card on a Friday night at Alexandra Park since April 7, 2017. Starting at 5.24pm the meeting will feature the $40,000 Thames Goldfields Summer Cup, the $40,000 Caduceus Club Northern Breeders Stakes and the $40,000 Thames Members Handicap Trot. There will also be an 11-race card at Addington including three Group 1s, the Garrards Pacing and Trotting Derbies and The Christian Cullen. Excluding Show Day the last time there were more than 22 races on a Friday night was back on July 20,2018 when there were 23 – 11 at Auckland (including two non totes) and 12 at Addington (also including two non totes). The Friday Night Lights concept has been a huge focus for Entain and HRNZ this year and is a key part of The Future Starts Now strategy to reinvigorate racing in the north.
Christian Cullen back on track
Just weeks after his 30th birthday, Christian Cullen will make a guest appearance at Addington on Friday night. The million dollar earner will lead out the field in the race named after him, the $200,000 The Christian Cullen for the 4YO pacers (7.56pm). It’s the first ever running of the Group 1 and will feature the likes of Merlin and Don’t Stop Dreaming. Christian Cullen was chosen as the name for the new Group 1 after an on-line competition. As a four-year-old he won 12 from 12 including the 1998 New Zealand Cup, the Auckland Cup and the Miracle Mile. Harness racing’s pin up boy at the time, over all the Brian O’Meara-trained star won 22 from 31 starts and over $1.2m in stakes.
Hanrahan recovering at home
Mid Canterbury trainer Laurence Hanrahan is on the mend after being kicked by a horse at the Methven races on Sunday. He had his ribs broken in the incident, and also suffered a small tear to his spleen. Hanrahan is a well-known and successful trainer and is also the horse ambulance driver/operator in Canterbury. After being treated at hospital he is now back home. HRNZ would like to wish him all the best with his recovery.
Cadet of the year comp
The annual Harness Racing New Zealand Cadet of the Year competition was held in Christchurch on Monday. The four finalists were found after a series of regional competitions and they were put through all sorts of tests, including horse management, general knowledge, interviewing skills, as well as their driving and other horse-related prowess. The winner of the Cadet of the Year will be announced at the HRNZ annual awards at Addington Raceway in February.
100 training successes
Rakaia trainers Lynn and Justin Smith secured their 100th training success when they notched a double at the Akaroa Trotting Club meeting at Motukarara on Saturday. Beyond The Horizon and Lookslikeatrixter both won with Justin in the sulky. Their 100 wins have come from 1081 starts with their first win together being Some Direction at Ashburton in 2004. Lynn Smith has also had 45 wins on her own account.
What a year, for horse and driver
Twin B Joe Fresh has rounded out a near faultless 2024 with victory in the $150,000 FanDuel Championships at the Meadowlands in New Jersey. Driven by ex-pat Kiwi star Dexter Dunn, who is also a part owner of the star mare, Twin B Joe Fresh became the event’s first two-time winner. It was her 11th win in 13 starts. She was second in her other two starts. She has now won 30 of 40 races overall and earned $US2.33m. She is the number one ranked horse in North America, with her connections confident she’ll be back for a five-year-old season, rather than heading to the broodmare paddock. Dunn won five of eight major stakes race at the Big M on the day. He has now has 304 wins for the year and is all but guaranteed a fifth Driver of the Year title in the last six years. His stakes earnings of $16.6m are nearly $2.5m more than any other driver. Yannick Gingras is second on $14.25m.
NZB catalogue out now
The catalogue is out for next February’s NZB Standardbred National Yearling Sales at Auckland and Christchurch. The Karaka sale will be held on February 15, with Christchurch three days later. There will be around 340 lots in total.
To see the catalogue click here
Club News : Invercargill
The Invercargill Harness Racing Club’s massive Christmas meeting featuring the Group 1 Ascot Park Hotel Invercargill Cup returns this year on Friday 20 December. Since attaining Group 1 status and receiving a pre-Christmas date the meeting has gone from strength to strength with large crowds attending each year including many who use the event for their end of year Christmas functions. The stake for the cup is $100,000 with a quality support card including the Group 3 Brendan Franks Farrier David Moss Stakes Trot with a stake of $50,000, the Canada Stakes for a purse of $30,000, the SBSR Sires Stakes Southern Solstice Mobile Pace also for $30,000 and the Diamond Creek Farm/SBSR Robin Dundee Crown for stakes of $25,000.
A popular feature over the past few seasons has been a competition where on course patrons can win the opportunity to place a bet of up to $1000 on the Cup by dropping their losing tote tickets or a coupon from the race book in one of the labelled buckets around the course with their name and phone number on the back for a special draw. The draw will be made prior to Race 5 where each ticket or coupon drawn will receive a runner in that race. Should your runner finish first in race 5 you receive $1000 to bet on the Ascot Park Hotel Invercargill Cup. Second in the race 5 competition gets $300 to spend on the Cup and third $200. To enter you must be 18 years of age or older.
Ladies Fashion In The Field, supported by Elegance 148 On Elles Restaurant, McLeay Jewellers and Craig Heyrick of Harcourts Real Estate, Invercargill, is back with entries open on course until Race 3 on the day with some great prizes up for grabs. Details will be in the race book on the day.
Six contestants will be found for the final which will take place in the birdcage later in the day. The race meeting is a twilight event due to commence at 3.30pm, ideal for those end of year functions and get togethers. Anyone wishing to book hospitality space for a function should contact Southern Harness Racing’s Promotions Officer, Lindsay Beer either at 021 351 499 or lindsay.beer@xtra.co.nz