A month after his barnstorming stakes victory at Ellerslie, smart juvenile Do You Just (NZ) (So You Think) has been sold and will continue his racing career in Hong Kong. The son of So You Think showed promise through his two-year-old season, but it wasn’t until the Listed Champagne Stakes (1600m) in mid-May that he showed his true colours, leading up and spacing his rivals by 6-½ lengths. That performance came as little surprise for co-trainer Lance O’Sullivan, who shared in the ownership of Do You Just with Waikato Stud,…
Month: June 2025
Platinum Diamond top Castletown prospect
Lisa Latta will hold a strong hand in Friday’s two-year-old feature at Otaki, with Platinum Diamond (NZ) (Hello Youmzain) tipped as her top seed. The Awapuni trainer will have able back-up in the Listed John Turkington Forestry Castletown Stakes (1200m) with Brutiful Lass and Platinum Pantheon also in contention. Platinum Diamond has earned top billing from the stable after the highly encouraging start the daughter of Hello Youmzain has made to her career. The filly made late ground to run fourth at her Hawera debut in early May and then…
Be Part of the WDC25 Tour – Travel Packages Now Open
Custom-made packages are now available for those wanting to follow the World Driving Championship (WDC25) around New Zealand this November. This will be the first time New Zealand has hosted the prestigious event on its own. Ten drivers from around the world, including our own Blair Orange, will compete at the following venues:• Kaikoura – November 2 & 3• Cambridge – November 5• Addington – November 7• Winton – November 9• IRT New Zealand Cup Day at Addington – Tuesday, November 11 There has already…
News Briefs: June 18
Bet N Win settles into Aussie Multiple Group 1 winner Bet N Win will race in Sydney this Saturday night, ahead of his Inter Dominion campaign in Queensland. The Rowe Cup winner was on a flight from New Zealand, along with Pinseeker and Betterthancash, earlier in the week. The two pacers will front up in race 1 at Menangle at 7.17 pm on Saturday while Bet N Win will contest the Ainsworth – AGTSlots.com Trotters Mobile at 10.36pm. Bet N Win is currently a $5 fourth favourite for the Inter…
Aptly-named homebred vying for stakes success
Aptly-named homebred Country Salon will be out to continue Gavin Sharrock’s golden run with his juveniles this season when he tackles Friday’s Listed John Turkington Forestry Castletown Stakes (1200m) at Otaki. The two-year-old son of Darci Brahma holds great sentimental value to Sharrock, with the Taranaki horseman naming Country Salon and his dam after his daughter. “My daughter and I raced (his dam) Uniquebotique together,” Sharrock said. “She has got a little hair salon on her farm called Unique Boutique and that’s how that mare got her name. She is…
The Cornelius story around Wilma’s Boy
By Rob Courtney Richard Cornelius is long retired with his feet up in Prebbleton but the wily Cantabrian has been a harness enthusiast for as long as he can remember. His list of winners indicates he has won his share of good races. Gail Devers (Live Or Die – Awesome Dream) won 10 from just 19 starts and Oscar Wild (Albert Albert – For The Boys) won 11 and was placed in an Auckland Cup. Both were trained by David and Catherine Butt when they were winning multiple trainers premierships…
Leanne Edwards – “I’m hanging up the bridle”
By Dave Di Somma, Harness News Desk After 40 years, Morrinsville-based trainer Leanne Edwards is calling time on her training career. “I still love them (the horses) but it’s time for a change,” says Edwards, “I’m hanging up the bridle.” “I sold my last one (Cupids Arrow) last month.” Edwards’ first winner was Grattan Royale in 1984. He ended up winning six from 24 and her headliner was Frugal Echo, who won 16 from 81 career starts. “He was the best trotter I ever trained,” she says. In the early…
HRNZ – Statement on Nigel McGrath
A decision has been made allowing Nigel McGrath to make a partial return to the industry, but under very strict conditions. At the last Harness Racing New Zealand AGM clubs and kindred bodies passed a rule change allowing any banned party to apply for an exemption if they have served at least half of their penalty. McGrath, who was banned for eight years, met this criteria and subsequently applied for a number of exemptions. HRNZ’s Exemptions Committee met to consider the matter and concluded that the conditions regarding McGrath’s ban…
Pier enjoys break in Queensland
Fresh from a runaway victory in Saturday’s A$160,000 Listed The Wayne Wilson (1600m) at Eagle Farm, connections of Group One galloper Pier (NZ) (Proisir) are formulating plans for the spring. The Darryn and Briar Weatherley-trained gelding will enjoy a break in the Queensland sun after a three-start campaign that saw the 2022 Gr.1 New Zealand 2000 Guineas (1600m) winner return to something like his best. The son of Proisir produced powerful finishes for placings in the Listed City Of Napier Sprint (1200m) at Trentham and the Gr.3 BRC Sprint (1350m)…
Wilson’s wonderful journey over fences
Harvey Wilson has been successful in a number of New Zealand’s major jumping races, but before he was training racehorses, he scaled even greater heights in the show jumping arena. Growing up in the Wanganui region, Wilson was surrounded by horses, hunting and racing, but serious competition came later in his teenage years. “My parents rode, not extensively, but they hunted, and my father was an amateur rider and rode in the point to points in those days,” he said. “He was involved in the Waverley Racing Club for a…