Harness Racing New Zealand advises that significant rainfall is forecast for Methven over the next 72 hours, including up to 30mm on Saturday, prompting the introduction of a contingency plan for this weekend’s meeting. A track inspection will be conducted at Mt Harding Racecourse, Methven, at 11am on Saturday 4 October. If the track is deemed unsuitable, the meeting will be transferred to Addington Raceway. In that event, race distances will be amended in line with Addington’s approved start points, and Race 8 will be reviewed to meet maximum field…
Year: 2025
Vale Trevor Craddock
Trevor Craddock, one of the great characters of West Coast harness racing, will be farewelled at Westport tomorrow (Friday). The 85-year-old is being remembered as someone who “loved his racing and rugby” and had “a great life”. Based at Patterson Park, Craddock had exactly 100 training wins between 1967 and 2014 with 27 successes as a driver. His first driving and training win was with Wheels at Reefton in 1967. Among his best horses were Clifford Jasper (10 wins), Chiola Reb (10 wins), and Brooksdale Pal, Oregon Heights, Jovial Jan…
Melody Belle’s daughter on song for debut
It will be a full-circle moment for Te Akau Racing at The Valley on Friday night when Lyrics ‘N’ Song (Written Tycoon), a daughter of their former multiple Group One winner Melody Belle (NZ), makes her debut. Raced by New Zealand syndicator Fortuna, Melody Belle won 19 races for former Te Akau trainers Stephen Autridge and Jamie Richards, including 14 at Group One level. She accrued more than $4 million in prize money and was crowned New Zealand Horse of the Year in 2018-19 and 2019-20. Following her racing career,…
Willydoit ready for Epsom challenge
Last season’s New Zealand Derby hero Willydoit (NZ) (Tarzino) will step back into the spotlight on Saturday when he contests the Gr.1 Epsom Handicap (1600m) at Randwick for trainer Ciaron Maher, with jockey Tommy Berry bullish the horse is ready to make his mark over the famous mile. While his Derby win showcased his staying prowess as a three-year-old, Berry believes the maturing son of Tarzino has sharpened considerably, now looking every inch a genuine miler with the strength to stretch out slightly further if required. The Group One winner…
Milan Park treble shadowed by loss of top mare
Tony Rider experienced the extreme highs and lows of breeding thoroughbreds within a matter of hours on Wednesday. During the afternoon, Rider celebrated three winners across the card at Tauranga with Savvysuper (NZ) (Super Seth), Just Call Me Jonny (NZ) (Eminent) and Vickezzlastcall (NZ) (Wrote), all horses that he bred and races under his Milan Park banner. But, later that evening, the latter’s half-sister Aromatic (NZ) died after complications having her first foal. “We lost Aromatic last night, she foaled on Friday night with a dead foal and the foal…
Joe Kamaruddin Returns to Selangor Turf Club After Stellar New Zealand Career
After a remarkable run in New Zealand that saw him notch an impressive 167 wins, Malaysian-born jockey Joe Kamaruddin is set to make a highly anticipated return to race day action at Selangor Turf Club. Kamaruddin, whose career flourished across the Tasman, earned a reputation for tactical finesse, consistency, and a deep understanding of race dynamics. His success in New Zealand included partnerships with top stables and victories across a range of distances and conditions, cementing his status as one of the region’s most respected riders. Following a hiatus from…
Fast Network lands National Day Cup
Trainer Dennis Yip claimed a timely first win of the 2025/26 season, taking out the feature HK$4.2 million Gr.3 National Day Cup Handicap (1000m) at Sha Tin’s National Day fixture on Wednesday when his stable star Fast Network, a New Zealand bred son of Wrote, blitzed a strong field under Alexis Badel. Badel, who won the race for the third time, was victorious last season aboard Beauty Waves, who faded to sixth place under champion jockey Zac Purton in a tame defence of his crown. The Frenchman said this time…
Faber scores first training win
Te Aroha horsewoman Emma Faber crossed over the Kaimai range to record her first training win at Tauranga on Wednesday, courtesy of Reckoning in the Tauranga Crossing Fashions In The Field November 1st (1400m). It was the second start for the Echoes Of Heaven four-year-old, having run seventh on debut over 1200m at Ellerslie last month, and Faber was confident of an improved performance. The gelding had shown plenty of promise at home and at the trials, winning his 1100m heat at Avondale prior to his debut, and Faber was…
Group Three test in the offing for new Southland acquisition
A Group Three test is in the offing for Group Two performer Saint Bathans, who has transferred south to the care of Ascot Park trainer Robert Dennis. Previously trained by Andrew Forsman out of his Cambridge and Flemington bases, the son of Maurice won five races on both sides of the Tasman, with his career highlight being a runner-up performance behind Habana in last year’s Gr.2 Rich Hill Mile (1600m). The seven-year-old gelding has been leased to a group of Dennis’ clients and the Southland horseman has been pleased with…
TAB Racing Club to wind down
The TAB Racing Club is set to wind down, with the business case for the experience-based programme no longer stacking up for operator Entain Australia & New Zealand. Modelled off sister company Ladbrokes’ popular Racing Club, the TAB Racing Club was launched last year and gives members the chance to experience the thrill of racehorse ownership without the cost. It has been well patronised, with around 18,000 New Zealand TAB customers joining the Club. They have experienced several highlights over the last year, starting with their first win at Ascot…