Anna Furlong’s small but select team couldn’t be in better form ahead of their engagements at Trentham on Saturday. The Riccarton trainer’s northern-bound team are all last-start winners and headed by Listed James Bull Rangitikei Cup (1600m) contender Iffididit (NZ) (Iffraaj). Penvose Lad will take on the open class sprinters in the Stout Roofing Handicap (1200m), while Canasta (NZ) (Ace High) lines up in the Harrison’s Carpet & Hard Flooring 3YO (1600m). Iffraaj five-year-old Iffididit capped off a solid run of form this preparation with his success over 1400 metres…
Month: May 2025
Friday Nights Lights featuring Marketplace and Mantra Blue
It’s Friday night with dual racing at Addington and Alexandra Park. All eyes will be on superstar Marketplace in the night’s feature race, the $200,000 Garrards Sires’ Stakes Final at Addington at 9.39pm while up north the very promising Mantra Blue resumes in the North Island Breeders Stakes at 8.25pm. Bettors Anvil drawn to test Marketplace in $200,000 Sires’ Stakes Final By Michael Guerin Tim Williams knows that now or never may actually end up being never. But he thinks tonight’s $200,000 Garrards Sires’ Stakes Final at Addington is his…
2025 National Standardbred Weanling sales catalogue out now
The 82-lot catalogue for NZB Standardbred’s 2025 National Weanling Sale is now live and available to view on www.nzbstandardbred.co.nz. A total of 79 weanlings and three yearlings will go under the hammer at the Karaka Sales Centre on Thursday, June 26 including 15 horses that will be Next Gen eligible. To see the catalogue click here A total of 14 weanlings and one yearling will be Next Gen eligible. The sires (and the lot numbers for their weanlings) are : Dancinginginthedark M (Lot 1065)E L Titan (Lot 1040)King…
HRNZ launches Independent Review into Young Guns Final eligibility process
Harness Racing New Zealand (HRNZ) has today announced an independent review arising from the circumstances of the IRT 2YO Young Guns Final Mobile Trot, Race 3, held at Alexandra Park on Saturday, 10 May 2025. The review will address questions and concerns raised, and make recommendations to HRNZ. This review follows industry discussion surrounding the inclusion of a non-heat participant in the Group 3 Final. HRNZ acknowledges the concerns raised by trainers, owners, and fans regarding the interpretation and communication of those conditions. Independent Review “We are committed to a…
Raceday judge wanted for Otago/Southland
Southern Harness Racing is seeking a reliable, punctual, and enthusiastic individual to take on the role of Official Raceday Judge for our harness racing meetings throughout the Southland and Otago regions. To find out more click here
Dalgety booked for two Brisbane drives this Saturday
By Adam Hamilton Kiwi young gun Carter Dalgety will make a surprise appearance at Albion Park on Saturday night. And it could be the forerunner to more hit-and-run trips across the ditch. Dalgety will have two drives for trainer Michael Brennan, who has moved from Western Australia to Queensland to become private trainer for owner Josh Davine. “This just sort of fell into place,” Dalgety said. “I was planning a trip to visit my sister, Madi, who lives in Queensland and then Josh (Davine) said their stable driver, Korbyn Newman,…
NZB’s 2025 weanling catalogue now online
The countdown to NZB’s 2025 National Weanling Sale is underway, with a compact yet quality catalogue of 134 youngsters now available to view online at www.nzb.co.nz. Set to be held on Thursday 26 June at Karaka, the Sale offers an abundance of opportunity for both pinhookers and end users to secure quality stock, with the session a proven source of racetrack and investment success. Recent stakes-performers sourced from this Sale include Jedibeel (NZ) (Savabeel), Pivotal Ten (NZ) (Ten Sovereigns), plus Group One winners Pignan (NZ) (Staphanos), Callsign Mav (NZ) (Atlante), Jennifer Eccles (NZ) (Rip Van Winkle), Karaka Millions 2YO winner, Tokyo…
Do You Just Chases Champagne Stakes
Do You Just (So You Think) steps up to a more suitable distance at Ellerslie and a bold showing is expected from the colt in his juvenile grand final. The Wexford Stables representative will close out his campaign in Saturday’s Listed Skycity Champagne Stakes (1600m) ahead of a break. “We put him aside after a spring preparation and brought him back with these longer two-year-old races in mind,” said Andrew Scott, who trains in partnership with Lance O’Sullivan. “That’s what he is genetically bred to do, and we think as…
Parsons Too Strong on Riccarton Synthetic
John and Karen Parsons had plenty of firepower on the truck to Wednesday’s Riccarton Park Synthetic meeting and their topliners delivered, collecting both open handicaps with Tumuch (NZ) (Satono Aladdin) and Miss Brittany (NZ) (Sacred Falls). The Balcairn couple picked up their first win on the card in the Speights Summit Ultra On Tap Rating 60 (1400m) with Sway Up (NZ) (Highly Recommended), and two races later, the talented Tumuch started as one of the shortest-priced favourites to step out on the course when contesting the Riccarton Park Function Centre…
Jedibeel ripe for Doomben 10,000 mission
Being on the wrong side of a photo finish in a feature race is nothing new to trainer Brad Widdup but he remains hopeful Jedibeel (NZ) (Savabeel) can bury memories of his narrow last start loss by winning the Doomben 10,000. The sprinter went down by a short half-head to Libertad in the Victory Stakes (1200m) last start, although if anybody was equipped to handle the disappointment, it was Widdup. His star mare Icebath was edged out in the 2020 Golden Eagle by Colette, the 2021 Doncaster Mile by Cascadian and then again by Superstorm in the Cantala Stakes the following spring. “I have been through a few of them,”…