By Michael Guerin Inter Dominion glory is a possibility for New Zealand again after trotting series favourite Bolt For Brilliance booked his tickets for Victoria with a private workout on Saturday. The Trans Tasman series, one each for pacers and trotters, has long been one of harness racing’s great annual events but has struggled to hold the same allure for Kiwi horses in the last two years because of Covid, reduced stakes compared with other feature races and increased travel. That means Bolt For Brilliance was the only big-name New…
Year: 2022
Harry flies Kiwi flag across the Tasman
By Adam Hamilton Exciting young trotter Harry Stamper added the most Kiwi flavour to last night’s stellar Breeders Crown meeting. The former Kiwi gelding was driven aggressively and confidently by former champion Kiwi driver Anthony Butt for an all-the-way win. The key part was the first 150m when Plymouth Chubb blasted out of gate three and looked a chance of crossing Harry Stamper in two, but Butt burrowed through and that proved vital. Once in front, Butt steadied for a 31.6sec split while heavily backed favourite and main danger Cravache…
Hong Kong beckons for Lim’s Kosciuszko
Lim’s Kosciuszko lowered the colours of favourite Golden Monkey in a resolute win in the $100,000 Tropaios 2013 Stakes, a Class 1 race over 1200m on Saturday. First-up three months after he beat the same Golden Monkey into third in the Group 1 Lion City Cup (1200m) on August 14, Lim’s Kosciuszko (Danny Beasley) showed plenty of foot to snag the lead on the rails after jumping from barrier three, albeit he was momentarily headed by Entertainer (Michael Dee) on the outside. Favourite Golden Monkey (Craig Williams), who was third…
Patterson unearths rising star
New Plymouth trainer Robbie Patterson knew from the outset he had a smart filly on his hands in three-year-old filly Terziere (NZ) (Complacent). The daughter of Complacent has been to the races on two occasions for two easy wins, the latest coming when winning the Wenham Grain & Seed (1300m) at Awapuni on Saturday, coming from back and wide under Mereana Hudson to score by in excess of three lengths. “She is pretty inexperienced. I never trialled her or anything because I knew she was that good. I thought I’d…
Gong winner Riodini another fine advert for boom sire
Were it not for a badly-timed injury, Alan Galbraith believes Proisir (Choisir) would probably never have found his way to Rich Hill Stud. But the accident which halted Proisir’s racing career reaching its full potential gave the farm near Matamata a chance to secure him, and the success of his progeny has been so widespread in the past few months in particular that he’s going to have his book restricted next year. Galbraith, one of the main partners in Rich Hill Stud along with on-site principals John and Colleen Thompson,…
Geelong best bets & quaddie tips | November 22, 2022
What Geelong Races Where Geelong Racecourse – 99 Breakwater Rd, Breakwater VIC 3219 When Tuesday, November 22, 2022 First Race 1:30pm AEDT Visit Ladbrokes The solitary Victorian meeting this Tuesday will be at Geelong Racing Club when they host a competitive eight-race program. The track is currently rated a Soft 6 and with some rain forecast on Sunday, Monday and Tuesday, we don’t expect to get anything better than the current rating on race day. The rail will be in the 8m position from the 1700m to the 800m mark…
Wagga races betting preview, tips & quaddie picks | 21/11/22
What Wagga Riverside Races Where Murrumbidgee Turf Club – Travers Street, Slocum St, Wagga Wagga NSW 2650 When Monday, November 21, 2022 First Race 1:15pm AEDT Visit Ladbrokes Racing heads to the Riverina on Monday afternoon with an eight-race program set for Wagga Wagga on the Riverside surface. The track is listed as a Good 4, however, with plenty of rain around the region we’re likely to be racing closer to the soft range come race-day. The rail is in the true position for the meeting as racing gets underway…
Stewart-Tonkin dominate Breeders Crown finals
By Adam Hamilton Emerging superstar Captain Ravishing and champion mare Ladies In Red headlined another record-breaking night for the rampaging Emma Stewart and Clayton Tonkin stable at the Breeders Crown at Melton, Victoria last night. The power couple of Aussie harness won a staggering six of the 10 finals – five pacing and one trotting – something which has never been done before. But it was firstly Ladies In Red and then Captain Ravishing who left everyone gasping. Ladies In Red reaffirmed her greatness in the most stunning fashion when…
Banks Peninsula meeting moves to Addington
The meeting scheduled for Motukarara today will now be held at Addington tomorrow (Monday). There will be 11 races, with the first going at 3.21pm and the last at 7.42pm. The decision to re-locate was made after Sunday’s meeting on the grass at Motukarara was abandoned because of surface water on the track. The area under water was six metres wide and was right in the middle of the track close to the winning post. “It has been deemed as dangerous and we can’t go ahead today,” Harness Racing New…
No races today at Motukarara
Today’s meeting at Motukarara has been abandoned because of surface water on the track. Harness Racing New Zealand’s track and venue inspector John Denton has been on-site and says the surface water is about six metres wide and is right in the middle of the track close to the winning post. “It has been deemed as dangerous and we can’t go ahead today,” he says. The abandonment follows an inclement few days in and around Christchurch including a deluge overnight on Friday and continuing into Saturday. A total of eleven…