Each year leading into the IRT New Zealand Trotting Cup, IRT has a race night at Addington and in recent times, we have used it to celebrate the many different heroes associated with the great sport of harness racing. We’ve used it to acknowledge legends of our industry – both horse and human – and last year we gave thanks to the Unsung Heroes of the game, those who put in the hard yards behind the scenes such as the stable hands and the volunteers that ensure trial days and…
Year: 2025
Leap To Fame’s NZ Cup bid to be decided after Melton race
By Adam Hamilton The hopes of Leap To Fame contesting the IRT New Zealand Trotting Cup look to rest on a race at Melton on Saturday night. Trainer-driver Grant Dixon swung a surprise today by putting the champion pacer the final field of six runners for a 2240m free-for-all. And the plan is to run and then decide on the NZ raid. Leap To Fame has passed two major “check points” since his slightly below par third in last Saturday night’s Group 1 Victoria Cup. It was the first time…
Whites with five potential starters in Harness 5000
By Dave Di Somma, Harness News Desk For local trainer Brent White the Harness 5000 is literally on his back door step. “There’ll be no float fees that day,” he says. Based at Ashburton Raceway the father-son combo of Brent and Tim White are looking forward to December 21. “It’s a good concept and if we can get some money going back to our owners – why not?” Harness 5000, featuring 12 $60,000 finals, is for trotters and pacers whose sire stood for an advertised retail service fee of…
Breeze Ups Complete for 2025
The final day of NZB’s 2025 Ready to Run Sale Breeze Ups saw a further 202 two-year-olds gallop down the home straight at Te Rapa Racecourse. Held over two consecutive days on the same turf track, Day Two of the Breeze Ups had a Soft 5 track rating, with an average time of 10.93. An early shower in the day was followed by strong winds of up to 7.4 m/s (26.7 km/h). Expert bloodstock agent Phill Cataldo, who has had a lot of success with Group One winners out of…
Champions Stakes Day test awaits Pier
Following his pleasing third placing in last Saturday’s A$5 million Gr.1 King Charles III Stakes (1609m) at Randwick, trainers Darryn and Briar Weatherley have decided to head south with Pier (NZ) (Proisir) to test his talent in Melbourne. The Group One winner has been a model of consistency since he landed in Australia in May, placing in the Gr.3 BRC Sprint (1350m) before winning the Listed The Wayne Wilson (1600m) in Brisbane. Following a spell he then ventured south to Sydney where he placed in the Gr.2 Theo Marks Stakes…
Globe in Cox Plate doubt
Leading trainer Mick Price says he would happily scratch Cox Plate hopeful Globe (NZ) (Charm Spirit) if he is not 100 per cent fit for Saturday’s weight-for-age championship. The Group One star is under an injury cloud heading into Saturday’s feature and Price declared he would be taking no risks with his Might And Power Stakes winner. “He had to do a sleip test. It’s a video of their action. RV contacted (Michael Kent) Junior late yesterday and said on half of the test, the horse wouldn’t pass. I’ve contacted…
Guerin Report – S2 Ep.8 Ft. Yulong
Yulong’s become a behemoth in racing, but very rarely do they open their doors to the public. Michael’s in Victoria for a unique look at their work, to chat with some of the key players, and he gets a surprise from a couple of special foals. Plus, we look ahead to the Cox Plate. Guerin Report – S2 Ep.8 Ft. Yulong
Wood hoping to strike gold with maiden gelding
Cambridge trainer Chris Wood has had a high opinion of That’s Gold (Lucky Vega) for some time, and he is hoping he can realise that potential when he attempts to break through for his maiden win in Wednesday’s Donaghys Moxipor (1150m) at Te Aroha. The son of Lucky Vega had seven starts for Wood as a juvenile, running fourth in the Listed Counties Challenge Stakes (1100m), and Wood is hoping he has more luck with the gelding as a three-year-old. “He showed me a lot last time in, things just…
Vale So You Think
So You Think (NZ) (High Chaparral), one of New Zealand’s greatest thoroughbred exports, has passed away, aged 19. Bred by Mike Moran and Piper Farm, So You Think was by former Windsor Park Stud stallion High Chaparral and out of Group Two-winning mare Triassic. He was offered through Windsor Park Stud’s 2008 New Zealand Bloodstock Premier Yearling Sale draft and was purchased by bloodstock manager Duncan Ramage on behalf of owner Dato Tan Chin Nam for $110,000. He entered the care of legendary trainer Bart Cummings, for whom he made…
Regal performance ends day on high note
Homebred Ceolwulf’s (NZ) (Tavistock) successful defence of his Gr.1 King Charles III Stakes (1600m) title ensured Cambridge Stud celebrated a top day at Randwick. Their colours were carried by James McDonald into fifth aboard Joliestar in Saturday’s Gr.1 The Everest (1200m) before the Joe Pride-trained farm graduate bounced back to his best in the weight-for-age feature. “We would have loved to have won The Everest with Joliestar, but it wasn’t to be, and then the day finished on a real high with Ceolwulf,” Cambridge Stud’s Scott Calder said. “I’d be…