Day: 24 February 2025

Dexter Dunn’s “unbelievable” win at Dan Patch awards

NZHarnessNews

By Dave Di Somma, Harness News Desk   The rushed trip back to the United States was well worth it for champion driver Dexter Dunn. The 10-time Kiwi champion arrived in Florida just a hour before the annual Dan Patch awards started, and he’d be pleased he did.  Dunn had been in Brisbane over the weekend, finishing fourth in the inaugural Ultimate Drivers Championship at Albion Park. Earlier he’d been holidaying back home in New Zealand.  He always knew he was going to win his fifth USA Driver of the…

Nikita Burton chasing elusive first win

NZHarnessNews

Double-headers on Tuesday and Friday will make for a busy harness racing week around the country. Addington and Manawatu get underway on Tuesday, with Manawatu’s seven race card starting at 3.24pm and the first of Addington’s eight races set down for 4.28pm. Winton is next to go on Thursday with Friday Night Lights featuring meetings at both Alexandra Park and Addington. The week is rounded out with a Sunday meeting at Rangiora. Burton hoping to go one better with Ultimate Counsel By Dave Di Somma, Harness News Desk  After going…

Complicate earns Gold Cup tilt

NZRacingDesk

Fast-improving stayer Complicate booked herself a ticket to Saturday’s Listed Positive Signs and Print Dunedin Gold Cup (2400m) with a gusty victory at Ashburton on Sunday. Complicate joined the Timaru stable of Brett Inglis in June last year after recording two wins for Wayne Hillis, showing a particular affinity for wet track conditions. Since heading to the South Island, the mare has been consistent on all surfaces, winning two in a row at Ashburton and Wingatui through December before a game third behind Mr Intelligence at the latter earlier this…

Timely Group Two victory for Trelawney

NZRacingDesk

Shanwah’s victory in the Gr.2 Autumn Classic (1800m) at Caulfield on Saturday was timely for his breeder’s Trelawney Stud, who are set to offer his half-brother at Inglis’ Australian Easter Yearling Sale in April. It was the third consecutive win for the Ciaron Maher-trained gelding, who was having his first tilt at stakes level, and made light work of his opposition when scoring by 1-1/2 lengths. By Too Darn Hot, Shanwah was a popular commodity at the 2023 New Zealand Bloodstock Book 1 Yearling Sale, where he was purchased out…

Kingsclere trio on song for Champions Day

NZRacingDesk

Cambridge trainers Roger James and Robert Wellwood will head into next week’s Champions Day at Ellerslie with a trio of leading chances, with all three pleasing in their final hit-outs at the Auckland track on Saturday. Glamour mare Orchestral was strong late when finishing third in the Gr.1 Sport Nation Otaki-Maori WFA Classic (1600m) and will now step up to 2000m in the Gr.1 Bonecrusher New Zealand Stakes. The daughter of Savabeel was eye-catching when winning the Aotearoa Classic (1600m) last month, and her trainers felt another mile test was…

Century of wins in the saddle for Mitchell

NZRacingDesk

Talented apprentice jockey Tayla Mitchell not only collected one of the country’s biggest staying races on Saturday at Ellerslie, but she also reached a valuable milestone with a century of winners to her name. The 21-year-old partnered Ken Harrison’s four-year-old Please Sir in the Eagle Charters 2100, and after settling fourth in the running, the gelding kept finding in the straight to come out on top in a competitive finish where the first seven home were separated by just a length. Mitchell had been informed the weekend prior that she…

Kembla Grange free racing preview & tips | Tuesday, February 25

AAP

What Kembla Grange Races Where Kembla Grange Racecourse – Princes Highway, Kembla Grange NSW 2526 When Tuesday, February 25, 2025 First Race 1:50pm AEDT Visit Dabble Kembla Grange is the destination for NSW racing on Tuesday afternoon, with a quickfire seven-part program set for decision. The rail moves out +6m the entire circuit for the meeting, and although some scattered showers are predicted to hit the course proper, the track should maintain the Soft 5 rating at the time of acceptances. The opening event at Kembla Grange is scheduled to…

Vale Mark Gill

NZHarnessNews

By Dave Di Somma, Harness News Desk  A memorial service will be held on March 1 for one of the mainstays of the Marlborough harness racing scene Mark Gill who’s died suddenly in Blenheim. The 76-year-old, a hobby trainer for 30 years, was still working fulltime as a farm worker and had been shoeing and working horses only a day before he had a sudden and unexpected medical event. “It was a huge shock for everyone to lose him so quickly,” says grand-daughter and training partner Kendra Gill. After moving…

Baker chasing Australian Guineas success with Point And Shoot

AAP

Point And Shoot. Photo: Bradleyphotos.com.au Bjorn Baker has confirmed that three-time winner Point And Shoot will line up in Saturday’s Group 1 Australian Guineas (1600m) at Flemington. The three-year-old has impressed in recent outings, winning his past two races at Randwick in restricted company, and Baker believes he is now ready for a step up in class. “I’m looking forward to getting down there,” Baker told Racing.com. “His last couple of runs have definitely been exciting. He’s a horse that has always shown a lot, so he deserves his chance.…

Classy South Australian stayer The Map retired

AAP

The Map. (Photo by George Sal/Racing Photos) The Map has been retired following a disappointing performance in Saturday’s Group 3 Lord Reims Stakes (2600m) at Morphettville. Trainers Dan Clarken and Oopy MacGillivray made the tough decision after the mare failed to show her usual finish and didn’t recover fully from the race. The six-year-old finished eighth, 4.5-lengths behind the winner, Gotta Go Guru. The Map had been aimed at redemption in next month’s Group 2 Adelaide Cup (3200m), after finishing as the runner-up to Excelleration in the same race last…