Contributor
Highly successful Victorian harness racing trainer Chris Svanosio will almost certainly have a few important reminders programmed into his mobile phone tomorrow night (July 4). While the five stable representatives in the opening night heats of the Ladbrokes Inter Dominion Trotting Championship at Albion Park in Brisbane are taking the limelight, Team Svanosio is also […]
Most harness racing horses buddy up with dozens of stablemates during their racing careers – but not Victorian square gaiters Against The Bridle and At The Distance. The two six-year-old geldings have been lifelong companions, sharing the same paddock almost every day since they were born just 11 days apart in October 2019. If one […]
Hard working trainer Shane Sanderson and his wife Naomi made the big decision four years ago to move from Menangle to Victoria, with the aim of giving their two children more harness racing opportunities. And now both Ryan, 21, and Abby, 19, are carving out successful driving careers in an industry that can be ruthless. […]
The Outback New South Wales harness racing club at Broken Hill has salvaged a consolation victory from the devastating abandonment of its annual showcase, the St Patricks Day Cup meeting scheduled for Friday night (Mar 14). The club, which races on Australia’s smallest track, at 602 metres, has battled a frustrating season, with nominations at […]
Quirky Victorian pacer Frankntank (Sealed N Delivered) has always been something of a harness racing enigma but one thing he’s clear on – retirement isn’t on his radar! “Frank”, as he is fondly known, produced the most emphatic win of his career at Mildura last Friday (Mar 7) – exactly one year to the day […]
Young Victorian driver Harry O’Neill scored the biggest win of his career and delivered a special victory for connections when he captured the Yarrawonga Refrigeration and Air Conditioning Wangaratta Pacing Cup on Sunday (Mar 9). Five-year-old mare Tizzy Lizzie (Rock N Roll Heaven) gave long time servant of the Wangaratta Harness Racing Club Bernie Blackshaw […]
The main feature, the iconic Birchip Mallee Bull Pacing Cup, got called off by storms, but that didn’t deter hundreds of racegoers from planning a return trip next year to what’s become a “must do experience” meeting on Victoria’s country Cups circuit. With a population of just 700, the once-a-year club in northwest Victoria puts […]
South Australian harness racing driver John Lee admits he’s always been a competitor – and being 88 years old doesn’t change a thing! The octogenarian this week showed great touch to land a well-supported winner at his home track Globe Derby Park and is “enjoying driving as much as ever”. “I’m a very competitive person. […]
Husband and wife harness racing team Laura and Damian Wilson admit the latter part of season 2024 was one they would rather forget – but with enviable numbers on the board so far this season, they’re certainly putting it behind them. The couple maintain separate teams at their property at Byrneside, near Shepparton, but both […]
Parenthood is definitely agreeing with Riverina harness racing horsewoman Amy Diebert! Diebert and her partner Seth Russell became parents late last year, and Amy returned to driving last month when baby Scarlett was two months old. After just 10 drives, Diebert steered home Complicated (Rock N Roll Heaven) at Albury on February 25 for trainer […]
Former Victorian harness racing young gun Declan Murphy headed across the border to help out a friend campaigning in New South Wales a year ago – but now looks set to stay put! “I’ve been up here for 12 months and I’m really enjoying myself,” Murphy said. “I’m not travelling all over the place to […]
Leeston harness racing trainer Brad Mowbray will head south with a truck load of runners for tomorrow’s Oamaru HRC meeting. Mowbray has three starters in Race One – Okiwi Bay (Art Major), He’s Tough (He’s Watching) and The Bettor Major (Art Major). Okiwi Bay started at Addington last Friday night and battled on for nineth […]
Star Victorian harness racing reinswoman Kerryn Manning made a clean sweep of the Boort Pacers and Trotters Cups yesterday (Mar 2) – but it was certainly in unusual circumstances. Old-school racing was the order of the day at the tight 712-metre Boort circuit, with action-packed affairs in both the Cups – with the Pacers’ edition […]
A smart trial, followed by an impressive exhibition workout has Victoria’s Sanderson harness racing team in the Goulburn Valley looking with high hopes toward the $1M Garrards Miracle Mile on tomorrow night week (Mar 8). Their star pacer Dangerous (Sweet Lou) is first up from a spell after his Inter Dominion campaign in December (an […]
Six-year-old mare Aliza Hill (Racing Hill) certainly hasn’t been rushed with her racing – but her patient breeder-owner-trainer Mark Gledhill is now reaping the rewards. Aliza Hill must certainly be one of regional Victoria’s most improved mares of the past six months. After managing three wins in three seasons of racing, she has now won […]
Shattered Victorian trainer Aaron Dunn says there’s a logical explanation behind the fact that his star pacer Forty Love (Downbytheseaside) could miss getting a start in Saturday night’s (Mar 1) heats of the $200,000 Harness Racing NSW Derby at Menangle. A winner of five from 13 ($58K) including last season’s Vicbred Super Series final, the […]
Victorian harness racing trainer Jennifer Douglas isn’t one to seek out the limelight – but her first ever training double at Bendigo’s Feb 19 meeting was definitely cause for a family celebration. Douglas, the daughter of trainer the late Keith Douglas and his wife Judy, was a Clerk of Course at numerous central Victorian tracks […]
Longtime Goulburn Valley harness racing trainer Dennis Paton isn’t one to give up too easily. Over the past few seasons, he’s had some frustrating times with five-year-old trotter Lizzies Son (Majestic Son), but now Paton is confident things are changing for the better. The gelding didn’t put a foot wrong in his latest victory in […]
Talented Victorian concession reinswoman Tasmyn Potter will be sidelined for at least six weeks after sustaining injuries in a race fall at this week’s Shepparton harness racing meeting (Feb 18). The 22-year-old was taken to the Goulburn Valley Health hospital after race three when the second starter she was driving, Aussie Jay Mac, galloped then […]
Ararat Harness Racing Club is hoping for a fairytale result with one of their favorite sons Michael Bellman landing his 2000th career driving win at their Cup meeting on Friday week (Feb 28). “It would be a nice I suppose – but I’ve only got six wins to go to reach the milestone, and I’m […]
Grand Victorian broodmare Torridon (Safely Kept) has repaid the faith of keen harness racing breeder Noel Watson 20 years ago, by recently recording her 10th individual winner. Torridon is undoubtedly in the twilight of her breeding career, but what a wonderful legacy she leaves for Watson, who has enjoyed some of his greatest thrills in the […]
Victorian hobby trainer Lindsay Rogers and his mate Little Yankee (Yankee Spider) have ridden the ups and downs and bumps of harness racing life together for nearly a decade – but victory at Melton on Saturday night (Feb 15) was definitely one of the “ups”. At his first start for more than six months, the […]
If there’s one horse in tonight’s highly anticipated $60,000 Albury Murray Cup that could spoil the “bush tour” party of harness racing champion Swayzee (Rocknroll Heaven), it’s five-year-old gelding Captain Hammerhead. Prepared at Shepparton by astute trainer-driver David Moran, the “captain” has won 11 races with six placings from 32 starts and is about to […]
Albert Cefai is fully aware his evergreen 14-year-old pacer River Patrol (Live Or Die) is any harness racing hobby trainer’s dream. “He’s just a marvel,” Cefai says of the New Zealand-bred pacer, who recorded his 17th career win at Ballarat on Thursday night (Feb 6) in the 7+ Pace, driven by Chris Alford. “He’s just a […]
