Friday Night Lights sees racing at Addington and Auckland tonight as the sport gears up for its biggest week of the year. Ya Rite Darl will start the night’s shortest priced favourite at Addington which will feature five more heats of the World Driving Championship while Arna Donnelly’s team could well be to the fore at Alexandra Park. Ya Rite Darl tuning up for THE ASCENT at Addington By Michael Guerin A late change of plans will see exciting trotting filly Ya Rite Darl head to Addington tonight rather than…
Year: 2025
Blair’s big night at Addington tonight
By Dave Di Somma, Harness News Desk Blair Orange is very much the driver to watch as the World Driving Championship heads to Addington for the first time tonight. The New Zealand rep is currently in fourth place in the WDC at the halfway stage after having a win and two placings at Cambridge on Wednesday night. He is on 68 points, with Canada’s James MacDonald leading the way on 98. He is also on 2999 career wins, needing just one more to become the fourth member of the 3000…
First Chorus on song at Flemington
Talented mare First Chorus (NZ) (Ghibellines) ran out a strong winner of the TCL Trophy (1700m) for trainer Lindsay Smith under a perfect ride from a wide draw (15) by Jamie Mott. Sporting the colours of Spicer Thoroughbreds, First Chorus powered away from her opposition to score by a length and a half to record her third victory from seven starts. The four-year-old daughter of Ghibellines had previously been runner up at Geelong off a month between runs and had come on in fitness on Thursday. “The speed was on…
Proud Weatherley prepares Pier for biggest test
Darryn Weatherley is feeling the pride of a father as he gets set to line-up the horse he co-bred, co-owns and co-trains on one of Australia’s biggest days of racing. Pier (NZ) (Proisir) carries the silks of well-known Australian owner Ozzie Kheir, but he remains a family pet in the Weatherley family, who have doted on the gelding since he was a foal. A Group One winner at three, Pier has been a test of patience for his conditioners in recent years, having one start in 18 months before returning…
Five members of quality Southern family on gavelhouse.com
The unreserved dispersal of highly respected horseman Hec Anderton’s estate has led to five members of an enormously successful South Island family being up for sale on gavelhouse.com. All five descend from the mainland marvel Princess Mellay (Mellay), whose 18 wins included the New Zealand Oaks (2400m) and two editions of the New Zealand Cup (3200m). Princess Mellay went on to be a significant influence at stud, with five winning foals headed by the 19-race winner and triple Group One winner Prince Majestic (NZ) (Noble Bijou). Countless other descendants have…
Sweet start to Wynyard’s week on the road
Promising filly Sweet Talkin Gal got Hollie Wynyard’s week off on the right foot as she readies proven mare Archaic Smile for a stakes assignment at Riccarton on Saturday. The Cambridge trainer ventured to New Plymouth on Wednesday with high hopes for Sweet Talkin Gal, a daughter of Anders who had placed in all three of her raceday starts including third last time out behind Gr.1 Barneswood Farm New Zealand 1000 Guineas (1600m) contender Belle Cheval. The market shared her faith backing the filly into $1.60 favouritism and she got…
McDonald to represent New Zealand in Hong Kong
Expat Kiwi jockey James McDonald will once again represent his homeland in next month’s LONGINES International Jockeys’ Championship (IJC), which will take place at Happy Valley Racecourse in Hong Kong on Wednesday, December 10. The LONGINES IJC is the most prestigious jockey challenge in the world and the most lucrative for the winning rider, with the four contested races worth a combined $1.7 million in prizemoney. The total prize fund of $227,000 in bonus money for the most successful riders will be split three ways, with the winner set to…
Captured By Love sets Guineas mark for stablemates
A team of four will defend Te Akau’s crown in the Gr.1 New Zealand 1000 Guineas (1600m), claimed 12 months ago by Captured By Love, who will bid to return to winning form on the Riccarton undercard. Mark Waker and Sam Bergerson’s Classic hopes in the Barneswood Farm-sponsored feature rest with Cool Aza Rene (Cool Aza Beel), Belle Du Monde (Zoustar), Origin Of Love (Snitzel) and Belle Cheval (NZ) (Savabeel), while last year’s heroine takes on the Gr.3 Windsor Park Stud Canterbury Breeders’ Stakes (1400m). Captured By Love (Written Tycoon)…
Lollapalooza primed for open grand final
Matamata trainer Graham Richardson views Saturday’s Gr.1 Barneswood Farm New Zealand 1000 Guineas (1600m) as a wide-open contest and is hoping Lollapalooza (NZ) (El Roca) can be right in the thick of the $600,000 prize. The El Roca filly announced herself as a key contender for the Riccarton showpiece when taking out the Gr.3 Gold Trail Stakes (1200m) early in the spring, then went down by a nose to Tajana in the Gr.3 Sunline Vase (1400m) a fortnight later. Tajana and Lollapalooza went head-to-head for the second time in the…
Hopes take three to Oamaru today
By Jonny Turner Ben Hope has a mountain to climb on Tuesday, but there is business to handle first at Oamaru on Thursday. After going desperately close in the past, Hope will again combine with Muscle Mountain in the Group 1 Renwick Farms Dominion Trot at Addington. Hope and father Greg will balance putting the finishing touches on their three-pronged attack on the renowned trotting event with having starters at Oamaru, as well as Addington on Friday. The Hope stable’s squad of four heading south of the Waitaki includes Franco…