Saturday’s Stout Roofing (1200m) was the second year in a row that Erin Hocquard has used a May meeting at Trentham as a first-up assignment for Spencer (NZ) (Derryn), and the Waverley trainer’s stable star has struck gold on both of those occasions. A Rating 75 sprint at Trentham on May 25 provided a winning start to Spencer’s campaign last winter, and the son of Derryn went on to collect another three wins, including the Gr.3 Spring Sprint (1400m) at Te Rapa in October. He was also runner-up in the…
Year: 2025
Sterling Express doubles up at Ellerslie
Progressive galloper Sterling Express (NZ) (Shamexpress) made it a winning double at Ellerslie to open his current campaign when he took full advantage of a superb Warren Kennedy rails-hugging ride to capture the Network Visuals (1400m). The four-year-old gelding had suggested he was reaching a new peak in this preparation after he dashed clear first up at the venue in open-class company over 1200m. Up to a more favoured 1400m trip on Saturday, the son of Shamexpress was one of the main chances in a very even contest that saw…
Coulthard signs off on a high
Saturday’s Harrison’s Carpet Hard Flooring 3YO (1600m) at Trentham brought the curtain down on Coulthard’s (NZ) (Redwood) three-year-old season and hinted at an even brighter future as a four and five-year-old. The Lisa Latta-trained Coulthard has made a favourable impression in his first racing preparation, which kicked off with a second and a fifth from his first two appearances in December and January. He was a three-length maiden winner at Waverley in February in his third start, then was beaten by a nose when second at Wanganui in March. A…
Always B You has biggest win of career so far
By Michael Guerin Robert Dunn knows what to do with Always B You long term but the problem is what to do with her right now. The talented mare scored the biggest win of her career after a beautiful Peter Ferguson drive saw her take all the short cuts to grab the $30,000 Powell Transport North Island Breeders Stakes at Alexandra Park on Friday. She wasn’t the best away from her 10m handicap but in a race with some pressure she ducked to the passing lane at the right time…
Southlanders shine on stacked night at Addington
By Michael Guerin One of New Zealand’s proudest harness racing regions turned back the clock to the glory days by dominating Addington on Friday night. Southland-based trainers won three of the six Group races on the stacked programme and two Southland mates in Regan Todd and Craig Ferguson combined with our best young pacer Marketplace to win the night’s Group 1, the $200,000 Garrards Sires’ Stakes Final. Todd may not live in the deep south any more but it only takes about 10 words to come out of his mouth…
The latest on the Kiwis at ID2025
Presenter-driver-trainer Brittany Graham knows a thing or two about racing on both sides of the Tasman and now that the Queenslander is working for Trackside in this country she’s (reluctantly) agreed to write a weekly column. Kiwi update on ID2025 With only six weeks until the first round of rapidly approaching Inter Dominion heats, here is the latest on the Kiwi contingent after the second rankings were released. A total of 24 trotters (two heats of 12) will contest the trotter’s series, with 36 pacers making the cut for the…
New race added to Ashburton meeting
A new race for the 2YO trotters has been added to the Ashburton Trotting Club’s programme for the King’s Birthday Meeting on Sunday, June 1. The mobile, for non-winners, will be worth $12,500. “HRNZ is committed to providing ample racing opportunities for all horses and in this instance we identified a month’s gap between opportunities for maiden 2YO trotters to race,” says HRNZ’s Racing and Wagering Manager Matthew Peden. “Ashburton in a fortnight was the best option to rectify that so we have added this race to their programme.” For…
Mazeppa powers to fourth victory for Wallis-Hackett team
By Jordyn Bublitz A dominant win at last night’s meeting at Cambridge has proven again that Mazeppa just keeps getting better. With Crystal Hackett in the bike, the big chestnut started off 25 metres in the Betavet Buildagut Handicap Trot. They were last at one stage before making a mid-race move. They then sat parked for the last lap before tearing away to a commanding 4 length victory Formerly trained by Dr Luk Chin and now with Waiuku trainers Michelle Wallis and Bernie Hackett, the 7-year-old son of Love You…
Little Brose Steps Out at LA
Gr.1 Blue Diamond (1200m) winner Little Brose (Per Incanto) has been officially welcomed to the Little Avondale stallion ranks to join his champion sire, Per Incanto. Little Brose was presented in outstanding order and is really letting down into a magnificent animal. Little Brose is very much in the mould of his father, Per Incanto and it is very exciting for breeders to have access to the 1st Australian 1200m Gr.1 winning 2YO to ever debut at stud in New Zealand. Little Brose was bred by local friend and client, David…
Mercurial sharpens up with trial success
Stephen Marsh is eyeing a light winter campaign with his Group One-winning sprinter Mercurial (NZ) (Burgundy), who shook off some cobwebs with a trial win at Cambridge on Friday. The winner of six of his 36 starts, including last year’s Gr.1 Telegraph (1200m) at Trentham, Mercurial has been off the scene since he was unplaced in the Gr.1 BCD Group Sprint (1400m) at Te Rapa on February 8. The six-year-old Burgundy gelding pleased his trainer with a narrow but comfortable short-neck victory in Friday’s 950m heat on his home track.…