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The Mark Jones trained filly Mattie Niven (Downbytheseaside) capitalised on a perfect trip to win todays $20,000 heat of the Nevele R Three Year Old Fillies Series at Ashburton. “She had a bit of gate speed and followed the right horse. It worked out good,” Jones said. At the end of the 1700 metre trip […]
Winton breeder Chelsea Faithful (SBSR) has plenty to juggle across a day. Working for Branxholme trainer Nathan Williamson in the morning, she also trains her own small team. And in addition she has two brood mares to manage. “It’s worked for the last eight years, but it’s hard work. At the moment I’ve got too […]
Canada is calling talented pacing mare Francent (Vincent) who has her final harness racing start on NZ soil tonight at Alexandra Park. Sold into the stable of Canadian horseman Jacques Dupont, the 12-win mare is a $1.40 favourite to win tonight’s Charles Roberts N.I.S.B.A Stakes in Auckland, looking to sign off on a successful harness […]
Swayzee’s caretaker trainer Mark Jones has been able to observe first hand just how much time Australian trainer Jason Grimson spends with his horses and his deep understanding of each horse in his care. “Jason is so one on one and goes out and works them on how they feel. He’s a bit of a […]
Australian warhorse Swayzee (Rock N Roll Heaven) will be looking for more cash to carry home when he takes on a strong field in the Dawson Harford Taylor Mile tomorrow night. After storming home late to finish third in ‘The Race’ at Cambridge, trainer Jason Grimson decided to leave Swayzee in Auckland under the care […]
Burnham harness racing driver Mark Jones will have a large team at the Wyndham HRC meeting tomorrow at Cromwell with nine runners across the thirteen race card. In Race Two Mighty Flying Miki (Always B Miki) represents the stable. The giant young pacer had had five starts for five fourths and appears to lack speed, […]
It was a drama packed Woodlands Stud Queen of Hearts at Alexandra last night with harness racing mare Francent (Vincent) declared the winner after she was clearly headed close to the line by Captains Mistress. But what unfolded was a shocking watch, as the seat on Captains Mistress’s sulky detached and tossed driver Nathan Williamson […]
West Coasters love their racehorses and they’ve recently uncovered another harness racing star to follow and rightly claim as theirs. Francent (Vincent) is from a family from which the Higgins family have been breeding for over seventy years and it began with Frank Higgins, the grandfather of the mare’s breeder Bob Higgins. “The story goes […]
Burnham trainer Mark Jones treks south to Oamaru with a truck load of form runners. In Race One, two year old A Bettors Legacy (Bettor’s Delight) lines up for the stable. He’s had one start, was checked badly and took no part. The gelding has had two trials since and gets a nice draw at […]
Steve and Amanda Telfer will be bringing strong numbers south for the Invercargill Cup meeting in eleven days. Ascot Park Hotel Invercargill Cup prospect Alta Meteor will head the team with Sonofamistery, Bettor’s Anvil, Always B Magic and JT Boe also pencilled in to head south. Meanwhile Amanda reports Ohoka Connor (Sunshine Beach) is back […]
What was expected to be a confidence building run turned into a winning one for nine year old pacer Deny Everything (A Rocknroll Dance) in the Peter Heyrick Memorial Mobile Pace at Ascot Park today. From the outside of the front line harness racing driver Kirstin Green watched the early action unfold and with Sky […]
Quality owned Southland mare Braeview Kelly (Bettor’s Delight) has produced her first foal, a colt by Captaintreacherous. Raced by Paul and Mandy Pierce, Braeview Kelly won eighteen races, was second thirteen times and ran third seven times, banking $459,030. For most of her career she was trained in Australia by Jack Trainor where she won […]
Worldwide harness racing website Harnesslink officially has a new owner. Harnesslink welcomes Australian businessman Mick Harvey as the new owner of the substantial harness racing website, after the deal was finalised with a handshake with international bloodstock agent John Curtin who’s owned and run the website for twenty three years. After so many years of […]
Got The Chocolates (Art Major) once again turned the tables on arch rival Marketplace in today’s $30,000 Ashburton Three Year Old Showcase. Driver John Dunn didn’t have the lightning gate speed of Marketplace or Rubira but he mustered enough speed to get handy, albeit in the parked position. At the 600 metres Marketplace and Got […]
Blair Orange raised his whip after the Mark Jones trained Tokyo Rose (Captaintreacherous) won today’s Placemakers Oamaru Cup. He was acknowledging jockey and his good friend Jonathan ‘Scrapper’ Riddell’s 1000th win at the Waverly gallops today. “A big shout out to Scrapper. Well done mate and I’ m pleased you got there and didn’t retire. […]
Burnham trainer Mark Jones reports Tact McLeod (Sweet Lou) has been back jogging for five weeks. “The first couple of weeks were only a couple of times a week but he’s now every day and a scan a month ago was very promising. He gets scanned at the end of October and may start pace […]
Southern Bred Southern Reared horses were to the fore at Addington last night with Jumal (Downbytheseaside) continuing on his winning way and Tact Teva (Lather Up) making a winning return to the racetrack after last racing in October 2024. “He got kicked by a paddock mate and fractured the bone above his knee. It was […]
Southland owned pacer Tact McLeod (Sweet Lou) won’t run in this year’s IRT New Zealand Cup. “It’s nothing serious but serious enough to keep him out of the Cup. It’s a tendon issue right round the pastern at the bottom. He’s been on the water walker, has been treated and will start swimming shortly,” part […]
Some eagle eyed spotting by trainer Mark Jones paid dividends at Ascot Park today. The Burnham horseman saw the newly minted Silk Road Series for mares in Southland and set Francent (Vincent) on a pathway to today’s $30,000 final. “Full credit to Mark. He’s so great at placing his horses. He spotted this series and […]
Four-win mare Francent (Vincent) will debut for new trainer Mark Jones at Winton on Thursday. The four-year-old was formerly with her Westport-based harness racing trainer Robert Higgins but he’s decided it’s time for her to officially go to Jones’ Burnham barn along with stable-mate and four-race winner Destiny Dance. “Francent was always going to go […]
Canterbury reinswoman Samantha Ottley reined a harness racing double at the Winton meeting today. In the $20,000 Murray Gray Memorial Mobile Pace she teamed up with the Mark Jones trained Seaside Croft (Downbytheseaside) to get a three quarter of a length decision over another son of Downbytheseaside, D Mac. “It was a very professional display […]
Adele Jones has an eye for good bloodstock and her training partnership with her husband Derek has taken this harness racing couple on a journey with many successful highlights. Derek has been a farrier for all his adult life while Adele comes from an equestrian background. “I just pottered around, got young thoroughbreds off the […]
The ease with which the Mark Jones trained Wanna Play A Game (Tactical Landing) won at the Ashburton harness racing meeting yesterday would suggest the winning won’t finish there. Driver Sam Ottley stepped Wanna Play A Game and led from start to finish before clearing out to win by four and a quarter lengths with […]
Having finished first equal in the first heat of the Macca Lodge/Nevele R Stud Southern Oaks Series at Oamaru last week, the Mark Jones trained Selsey Anne (Lather Up) won the second heat outright at the Wyndham Harness Racing Club meeting at Wyndham today. The dead heat at Oamaru earned zero rating points for Selsey […]
