By Michael Guerin If Alexandra Park races true to recent form for tonight’s $200,000 Magness Benrow Sires’ Stakes there may be less winning chances in the Group 1 than it appears as first glance. Because while the race is the strongest of the three-year-old pacing fillies season so far the girls covering the least ground should hold a huge advantage. Tonight’s meeting is take 2 after last night’s attempt was postponed after just one race because of bad weather. In the past few weeks in northern harness racing the…
Year: 2025
Alexandra Park meeting postponed from tonight until tomorrow
By Michael Guerin For the second time in just three weeks Alexandra Park has had a meeting postponed because of wet weather. Only one race was run tonight before the remainder of the meeting was postponed because of track conditions caused by the very heavy rain in Auckland. A large pool of water had developed on the inside on the track and crept into the passing lane while rutting was starting to develop on the home bend from water flowing down the track because of the steep camber. The rain…
Hugh Bowman excited to reunite with rising star Fast Network
Hugh Bowman has described Fast Network (NZ) (Wrote) as one of Hong Kong’s most progressive horses as Dennis Yip’s emerging talent squares off against a highly-competitive field in the Class 2 Pok Fu Lam Reservoir Road Handicap (1200m) at Sha Tin on Saturday (10 May). Chasing his fifth victory of the season, Fast Network meets three fellow last-start winners – Bottomuptogether (Shamus Award), Invincible Shield (I Am Invincible) and Gustosisimo (Exceed And Excel) – as well as a host of other genuine contenders, including Wunderbar (Written Tycoon), the only horse…
Trentham debut for talented TAB Racing Club filly
The TAB Racing Club’s debut season has already produced multiple highlights for its more than 10,000 members, and Cambridge trainers Shaune Ritchie and Colm Murray are excited to unveil another bright prospect in the dark blue and red colours at Trentham on Saturday. An initiative by Entain Australia and New Zealand to promote racehorse ownership among TAB customers, the TAB Racing Club is free to join. Its members have already had cause for celebration, with four-year-old mare Bella Regazza winning at Ascot Park in November and two-year-old filly In Haste…
Wellington weather the worry for Grays
Kevin and Stephen Gray have four talented up-and-comers entered for Trentham on Saturday, along with an exciting international jockey recruit, but the prospect of a testing track has dented the confidence of the Palmerston North stable. The father-son team will be represented by Cooper (NZ) (Tivaci) in the $50,000 Australian Turf Club Autumn Sprint Final (1200m), Albarossa (Vino Rosso) and Cosentino (NZ) (El Roca) in the Leica Lucy 3YO (1200m), and Tycoon Boss (Street Boss) in the Doctor Askar Maiden (1000m). “We’re taking a really, really nice team to Trentham,”…
Chevron cracks century for Dennis
Southland trainer Robert Dennis ticked off a career milestone with his 100th winner on Friday, thanks to a determined front-running performance by Chevron (NZ) (El Roca) in the Doug Horrell Contracting/Ricki Egerton Dagging Handicap (1600m) at Riverton. Dennis had brought up his 99th winner with On Song at Riverton on April 21 and went on to record three seconds, a third, a fourth and two fifths through the couple of weeks since. But Chevron delivered in style as the $2.10 favourite in Friday’s $22,000 open handicap. Ridden by apprentice jockey…
Stokes pair out to rebound in Group One
While most trainers would be rapt with an inside draw in a Group One feature, Phillip Stokes said it was far from ideal for his two mares in the Gr.1 The Goodwood (1200m) at Morphettville. Stokes saddles Stretan Angel (Harry Angel) and Climbing Star (NZ) (Zoustar) in the 1200m set weight plus penalties contest on Saturday with the mares drawing gates one and three respectively. “I’m not happy with those draws,” Stokes said. “I would prefer to be drawn middle to out with both of them, especially with the way they race at Morphettville, getting off the rails. “It…
Keayang Zahara wary of “Susan” in Menangle Group 1
By Adam Hamilton The challenges keep coming for unbeaten young Aussie trotting mare Keayang Zahara. Having finished last year with those three feature wins at Addington, Keayang Zahara just did enough to stretch her unbeaten record to 15 races when she returned to racing at Melton last Saturday night. The Marg and Paddy Lee-trained star is on the road this week to chase a 16th win and an eighth at Group 1 level in the $100,000 Group 1 Macarthur Mile at Menangle on Saturday night (11.09pm NZT). While Keayang Zahara…
Big stakes on offer for Fillies and Mares
A total of 35 Silk Road races, with stakes totalling around $700,000, will start later this month. It is the second year of the series. The Silk Road’s objective is to create pathways for everyday, emerging and elite Fillies and Mares. It is a key pillar of “The Future Starts Now” strategy launched in 2024. This year’s “Winter Series” heats will be divided among Northern, Canterbury and Southern with heats and finals for both gaits. They will start on May 23 at Alexandra Park with the last Final at Cambridge…
Gillies gearing up for riding return at Wanganui
One of the country’s most successful jumps jockeys in Mathew Gillies will make a welcome return to the riding ranks at Wanganui on Sunday. Originally hailing from Palmerston North, the Auckland-based hoop won the National Jumps Jockeys’ Premiership in the 2013-24 season and has steered home a total of 101 winners, including six in Australia. Through this period, Gillies won a number of prestige races while also spending time on the sidelines through injury, but it was the COVID-19 outbreak that kept him out of the saddle after Grand National…