Team Teal goes past $5000, Orange and House lead the premierships, and a job vacancy at Addington all feature in this week’s News Briefs.
Team Teal’s big fund-raiser
Harness Racing New Zealand’s annual Team Teal fund-raiser has just topped $5000, with the promise of a lot more to come. The campaign started on February 1 and will go through to March 16 with money raised every time a female driver in this country wins a race. That money comes from HRNZ, individual clubs and the drivers’ individual sponsors. So far there have been 22 wins with Sheree Tomlinson leading the way with five, Sam Ottley on four and Crystal Hackett on three. On March 14 a major fund-raiser will be held at Addington Raceway. The evening, starting at 5pm, will include dinner and drinks, raffles and other entertainment as well as the final of the Frocks at the Trots competition. Heats have been held around the country with the best dressed heading to Christchurch. The first prize is a flights and accommodation package to Australia. In the past Team Teal has raised upwards of $50,000 a year with all proceeds going to ovarian cancer research. For more information contact courtney@hrnz.co.nz
To see more on Team Teal’s big fund-raiser click here
Orange and House to the fore
It’s the Orange and House show at the top of the 2025 drivers’ and trainers’ premierships. Michael House is the leading trainer with 27 wins from 158 starts while the country’s leading driver Blair Orange has exactly the same stats – 27 wins from 58 starts. Wilson House is second on 21 and leads the junior drivers’ premiership from Harrison Orange on 17.
Series too close to call
With just two heats left, the Revell Douglas Memorial Series for the junior drivers is going to go to the wire. Harrison Orange leads after five heats on 34 points with Wilson House and Crystal Hackett next on 33 points. House, who won the series last year, climbed up the leaderboard after winning the fifth heat at Motukarara last Sunday with the Andrew Stuart-trained Farewell Spit. The series will conclude with two more heats at Cromwell this weekend.
Keayang puts on an exhibition
Fans were given an insight into what it’s like to drive a champ at Terang in Victoria on Saturday night. Unbeaten filly Keayang Zahara was driven by Antti Ruokonen in an exhibition appearance between races. Ruokonen, the travelling foreman for Keayang Zahara’s trainers Marg and Paddy Lee, wore a Go Pro and was mic’d up for the occasion. Newly crowned as the NZ 3YO Trotting Filly of the Year after impressive winning all three of her appearances on this side of the Tasman she has won 14 from 14 overall.
Volstead book full and closed
Keayang Zahara’s sire Volstead, who also produced the likes of Empire City and Freya, was named joint winner of the New Zealand Trotting Stallion of the Year at the HRNZ awards, along with Majestic Son. In North America such has been the demand for Volstead that his book is now full and closed for 2025. Volstead, an internationally successful son of Cantab Hall out of the Yankee Glide mare Madame Volo, won numerous European stakes races, before entering stud duty at Dublin Valley Farms in Ohio in 2020. Volstead is available to Australasian breeders for a fee of $10,000+GST via frozen semen.
Southern trotters goes three straight
South Australia seems to be agreeing with Tweedledee. The nine-year-old was a 10-race winner for Southland trainer Lyndon Bond before heading across the Tasman in 2023. He has won seven across in Australia, including four for Andy Gath in Victoria, and over the weekend racked up his third win in a row at Globe Derby in South Australia, taking out the Fred Jones Trotting Cup.
Club News : Addington
Commencing Monday, March 3 the New Zealand Metropolitan Trotting Club has a short-term contract available for an experienced Grounds Person / Track Assistant to join their team for approximately eight weeks to cover the recovery of a team member from surgery. Hours will vary due to race meetings but will be no less than 30 per week. There is a possibility that the contract could extend beyond the initial eight weeks. For further information and a Position Description please contact John Denton, Racing and Property Manager john.denton@addington.co.nz.
Club News : Otago and Southland
The Otago and Southland Harness racing awards for the 2024 season will be held on Saturday, March 1. The Otago awards will be held at the Loan and Merc in Oamaru (contact Bev Williamson : ardgowan.lodge@xtra.co.nz) while the Southland event is at the Waikiwi Rugby Club in Invercargill. For more information contact Gail Paisley : gail.alan@outlook.co.nz
Club News : Wyndham
The Wyndham Harness Racing Club return to Cromwell this week when they host two harness race meetings at Cromwell Racecourse. The first is a Tradies Day on Friday, February 21 from 2.48pm. The twilight event is perfect for tradies, allowing for an early finish on a Friday afternoon to come out to the course and enjoy a day of grass track harness racing.
The second meeting follows two days later on Sunday February 23 from 12 noon. This meeting is more tailored to family groups with a day of racing with entertainment for the kids including free mini jeep rides, bouncy castles, and extra activities such as sack races, a lolly scramble and more. It is an ideal day to relax as a family with a picnic and gazebo or a blanket and enjoy a day of racing with plenty for the kids to do.
Admission on both days will be free. There is no licensed area on course at these meetings.
