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New Zealand’s elite level trotting ranks have suffered their fourth major retirement in just a few months with the career of Mighty Logan (Creatine) now over. The Canterbury trotter was seen as the best local hope of defending New Zealand’s dented trotting pride from Queensland visitor Gus in the $400,000 Renwick Farms Dominion at Addington […]
Three good trotters, three very different challenges. That is the situation leading trainers of square-gaiters Michelle Wallis and Bernie Hackett find themselves in as their split their resources between both Alexandra Park and Addington tonight. Hillbilly Blues makes his Addington debut looking for some hard racing to reach the fitness level needed for races ahead […]
Regan Todd may have the hottest horse in New Zealand open class pacing but he isn’t getting carried away with Marketplace (Bettor’s Delight) even if the superstar is odds-on at Addington tonight. The flying four-year-old opened the remarkably short $1.75 favourite in the Lamb And Hayward Canterbury Classic (8.02pm), the toughest race of the spring […]
The horses missing from Friday night’s Lamb And Hayward Canterbury Classic might prove an unexpected bonus for the Go Media New Zealand Trotting Cup. Because the great race on November 10 now looks certain to have vastly different form lines as well as one hell of a lead-up race this Friday night. The south’s best […]
Steph Burley loves going to the races with her best mate. It helps when that best mate keeps making her money while they are at those races, which is what Bolt For the Hill did again at Alexandra Park on Friday night. He has been doing it a lot lately for Burley, who drives the […]
Champion horseman Tony Herlihy is in for a very interesting 30 minutes tonight. Because even our most successful ever driver would rarely have enjoyed the Inter Island interest he has between 9pm and 9.30pm tonight. Herlihy will be at Addington where he partners Lucky Luka (R10, No.10), who he also trains, in the $200,000 NZB […]
Harness racing’s perennial premiership winner Blair Orange will drive half of the favourites on one of the richest nights of the year at Addington tonight. But he admits one of them is confusing him more than the others. Orange is well on his way to winning the premiership again and has a remarkable book of […]
Champion harness racing trainer Mark Purdon faces an extended stint on the sidelines after a training mishap on Thursday left him with fractures in his hip and pelvis. But the all-time racing great knows it could have been much worse. The 62-year-old was knocked unconscious when a young filly kicked him with both hind legs […]
It seems only appropriate New Zealand’s biggest buyers of yearlings should have a boosted presence on New Zealand Bloodstock Standardbred Harness Million night. And Team Telfer haven’t disappointed with re-enforcements flying in from the north to strengthen their numbers for Addington’s massive meeting this Friday. The dual island training operation of brother Steve and sister […]
Team Cullen’s dream week didn’t extend all the way to the barrier draws for Friday’s mammoth harness racing meeting at Addington. And while trainers Hayden and Amanda Cullen still find themselves with the three favourites in the rich NZB Standardbred Harness Million races, their biggest name has been handed the most difficult draw. Team Cullen […]
Champion trainer Barry Purdon isn’t saying the stable star pecking order is changing after a stellar night at Alexandra Park on Friday. But he admits it could be. Purdon and harness racing training partner Scott Phelan trained the last half of the eight-race card with We Will Rise Again (Lazarus), Higher Power (Father Patrick), Better […]
The North Island’s most powerful open class harness racing stable could win both major races at Alexandra Park tonight but they not quite sure who with. Barry Purdon and Scott Phelan have the first three favourites in the Matamata Vets Holmes DG (8.24pm), the main pace tonight and two of the three top elects in […]
One leg of Carter Dalgety’s age group treble at Addington tonight looks relatively simple but the young driving star might need to work some magic in the other two. Dalgety has drives for his parents Cran and Chrissie in all three of the talent-filled races for youngsters tonight and will carry plenty of multi bets […]
Rubira may be missing from round two of the northern open class pacing spring at Alexandra Park this Friday but that doesn’t mean he gets the weekend off. Because trainer Nathan Purdon has decided Sunday’s Methven Cup will give him a better guide of where the four-year-old sits in the pacing pecking order. Rubira was […]
Lulana (American Ideal) has won her way into Arna Donnelly’s southern assault team but without all that many options when she gets there. The highly-talented harness racing filly was the second half of an Alexandra Park book-end job for Donnelly when she bolted away with the last on the card after Signman had won the […]
The boys are most definitely back in town. And while watching the return of one of our pacing superstars at Addington on Friday night was a lot more comfortable than watching the other, the result was still the same. Both Marketplace (Bettor’s Delight) and Jumal (Downbytheseaside) won and both were brilliant in doing so. Marketplace […]
Trainer Steve Telfer says Ride The Waves is ready to take charge of her own destiny at Alexandra Park tonight. And she might have to if she is to fend off the trans-Tasman challenge of Queensland Oaks winner Ripples, who is a shock entry tonight for the Auckland meeting. The pair clash in a stacked […]
A not-so-private workout last Saturday is one of the reasons Jumal has been smashed in the betting for his comeback race at Addington tonight. But the Derby winner is just one of the giants of harness racing returning as some of the biggest names in the code start their spring campaigns in a sizzling hour […]
Gasherbrum (Peak) aided by an inch perfect drive from in-form reinswoman Kerryn Tomlinson, proved too good in yesterday’s Apparel Master Trot at Winton. Tomlinson took the gelding forward from the outside of the second row and had to sit parked with Don’t Look Kobe making the early pace. After looking around and seeing that no […]
Merlin may prove the exception to one of harness racing’s golden punting rules in the IRT Spring Cup at Alexandra Park tonight. Because while betting on back markers who are fresh up in open class races is usually a pretty efficient way to get rid of any surplus money you have lying around, Merlin might […]
Father Barry (Father Patrick) may finally be ready to live up to his real harness racing potential. Because the one who won at Alexandra Park on Friday night is good enough to edge his way toward open class. That is where the John Dickie-trained trotter looked destined for right back at the start of his […]
Two star stablemates, two wide draws but probably two different outcomes. That is the most likely scenario harness racing trainer Steve Telfer is expecting when he takes a pair of high class three-year-old pacers to Alexandra Park tonight. Telfer has Allamericanplayer (R6, No.7) and Ride The Waves (R8, No.8) back at The Park as they […]
Master McGoogan might win his comeback race at Addington tonight but don’t expect it to be a comfortable watch if you back him. Because trainer Matty Williamson says the early season star of the southern juvenile trotting ranks will be significantly better for his outing in the Ricoh Mobile Trot tonight (6.55pm). “He has had […]
Tony Herlihy is looking at one of the strongest southern assault teams of his career. The champion horseman produced two of brightest stars at Alexandra Park on Friday night in Lucky Luka and Belle Biddy, even though the latter was actually beaten into second in her Dunstan Fillies Sires’ Stakes heat. She was the run […]
