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When Ocean Eyes (Father Patrick) won at Alexandra Park on the 23rd May in the hands of Zachary Butcher, she brought Glenys and Phil Kennard’s wins tally to 700. Their first was Idle Bromac at Ashburton in May 1987 trained and driven by Robert Dunn. The Kennards were then part of the Blue Blood No […]
2024 is certainly a season of change for harness racing with All Stars Racing announcing Blair Orange will be their number one driver for the future. Orange has driven full time for the stable in the past and he’s already driven 396 winners for Mark Purdon and his various training partnerships. The first winner for […]
Co-trainer Nathan Purdon was on the money when he said harness racing colt Chase A Dream (Captaintreacherous) was in a good place leading into the $160,000 Group One Garrards Sires’ Stakes Series Final at Addington tonight. As expected there were fireworks early, with both Cold Chisel and Hadron Collider hunted out. When the grit settled, […]
In the past Allstars stable has dominated many of the richest age group harness racing classics as is the case of the Alabar Classic at Alexandra Park where they’ve won seven of the last nine. This year Mark and Nathan Purdon will present a three prong attack which will be led by Chase A Dream […]
Comeback driver Natalie Rasmussen had a simple summary of how Oscar Bonavena (Majestic Son) felt at Addington last night. “He feels like the Oscar we always though he’d be,” says Rasmussen. The superstar trotted put six lengths on Smokin Bandar in the 2000m standing start trot, a nice welcome back to racing present for Rasmussen. […]
As comeback drives go this one is about as good as it gets. Natalie Rasmussen, one of the most feared harness racing drivers in New Zealand harness racing, returns to the race night sulky at Addington on Friday night after almost six months away and you can expect a winning return. Rasmussen will partner Oscar […]
Top harness racing driver Natalie Rasmussen doesn’t buy into any pre-race chatter. Driving hot favourite Don’t Stop Dreaming (Bettor’s Delight), the coolest in the cart summed up the start of tonight’s (May 12) $150,000 Group One Garrards Sires’ Stakes Final at Addington perfectly. “The others were coming out nice enough under me but this guy’s […]
New Zealand harness racing’s latest dual millionaire, Self Assured (Bettor’s Delight), was never afforded the opportunity of running in a New Zealand Messenger in the once-upon-a-time four-year-old feature back in 2020. The global pandemic put pay to that with the race being canned for the only time in its 65-year history. Tonight (Apr. 28), at […]
The queen of New Zealand harness racing was back doing what she does best at Cambridge on Thursday night (Apr. 6) and the punters who stuck with Self Assured loved every second of it. Natalie Rasmussen, who had not driven in a race this season until Thursday, produced a gem of a drive to get […]
Exciting pacer Franco Indie (Always B Miki) has returned from a spell, is back in work and is looking a picture at the Mark Purdon and Hayden Cullen harness racing stables in Rolleston. Regular driver Natalie Rasmussen has been doing a lot of work with the speedy gelding and thinks he has strengthened from his […]
Harness racing champion Self Assured (Bettor’s Delight) racked up his second Auckland Cup win when he won tonight’s $400,000 (Gr1) 2022 Trillian Trust Auckland Cup at Alexandra Park. Driven by Natalie Rasmussen, Self Assured received a good run in transit in a trailing position, and in the straight had too much speed for his rivals […]
Nobody could be in a better position to rate Self Assured’s (Bettor’s Delight) main dangers in tonight’s $400,000 Trillian Trust Auckland Cup than Natalie Rasmussen. Which has a touch of irony because when the outstanding harness racing driver jumps in the sulky behind the hot favourite tonight it will be the first time she has […]
New Zealand’s greatest harness racing trainer Mark Purdon is making an earlier than expected return to training and says his shock sabbatical from racing has him refreshed for the next phase of his career. Purdon will on October 1 officially return to the training ranks he took a step away from on New Year’s Day […]
