Following feedback from the industry, and in conjunction with the New Zealand Metropolitan Trotting Club, we wish to advise that the Wednesday trials at Addington will now be open to: – Horses requiring qualification– Horses needing to pass from a specific start type– Horses that have been stood down to trial by the Stipendiary Stewards. This change provides additional opportunities for connections to trial and qualify their horses midweek. Preference will continue to be given to qualifiers, with trials limited to four heats. Nominations for trials this Wednesday, 15 October,…
Year: 2025
Akuta to miss Friday’s Canterbury Classic at Addington
By Michael Guerin Akuta’s New Zealand Cup campaign has hit a speed bump with the wonderful pacer set to miss this Friday’s Lamb and Hayward Canterbury Classic at Addington. The former Auckland Cup winner has been the comeback story of the spring but was found to have mucus in his throat after failing at Addington last Friday. Co-trainer Nathan Purdon says Akuta will start treatment straight away and with five runs under his belt already this spring and plenty of lead-up options left he can still make the IRT-sponsored Cup…
Kiss The Girls wins action-paced Akaroa Cup
By Mike Love Yaldhurst trainers Derek and Adele Jones continued to have success with their team after Kiss The Girls was a very impressive winner in yesterday’s Cavalier Trotting Products Akaroa Cup at Motukarara. In what were dramatic events before the race got underway – with two false starts and the late scratching of Ted’s Legacy with his trainer and driver Jim Curtin being injured – Kiss The Girls made two fliers from those false starts before scrambling away when it mattered to settle six back on the fence. Driver…
Cox Plate next for Globe?
Mick Price and Michael Kent Junior’s gigantic galloper Globe (NZ) (Charm Spirit) could head to the Cox Plate following his upset win in the Gr.1 Might And Power Stakes on Saturday. Price told Racing.com on Sunday morning that he’d had discussions with the ownership group about running Globe in the weight for age championship event on October 25, which would require them to pay a late entry fee. “It’s a $200,000 pay up, they pay $100,000 down to eighth and it would be a small field,” Price said. “I’m not…
Powerful debutant kicks off Wexford treble
Promising colt Yamato Satona (NZ) (Satono Aladdin) made an impressive start to his racing career at Arawa Park on Sunday, kicking off a winning treble for his trainers Lance O’Sullivan and Andrew Scott. Racing in the colours of harness racing legend Barry Purdon, who owns the colt alongside his wife Katrina and Dean Shannon, Yamato Satona had shown promise through the trials and closed second-favourite in the Green Light Insurance Brokers (1400m). Guided by Joe Doyle, the colt was green early in the running but eventually settled to find cover…
Twain all class in Sweynesse Stakes
It seemed as though it would be only a matter of time before Twain (NZ) (Per Incanto) added a stakes victory to his name and the rising star did just that at Rotorua on Sunday, powering late to take out the Gr.3 Sweynesse Stakes (1215m). A winner in his debut last July, the John Bell-trained gelding has never finished out of the first four in 12 starts, including six victories and a fourth placing when starting favourite in the Gr.2 Foxbridge Plate (1200m). He continued to improve out of that…
What A Charma too strong in Staphanos Classic
Talented stayer What A Charma (NZ) (Jimmy Choux) brought his heavy track form onto an improving surface at Rotorua on Sunday when claiming the major spoils in the $80,000 Staphanos Classic (1950m). The eight-year-old by Jimmy Choux found career-best form through the winter and early spring, winning the Kiwifruit Cup (2100m) in June before a string of solid performances in open grade, including a last-start third behind Diamond Jak on Matamata Cup Day. The inclusion of class mare Val Di Zoldo meant much of the Staphanos field were compressed down…
Weigh In, October 12
Join Guy Heveldt, Emily Bosson and Aidan Rodley as they look back at the racing week including the Barneswood Farm Stakes from Ashburton, Group 1 glory at Caulfield and even the champ Ka Ying Rising arriving at Randwick. Weigh In, October 12
Tajana on target for Soliloquy after Taupo gallop
Gr.1 New Zealand 1000 Guineas (1600m) favourite Tajana (NZ) (Darci Brahma) warmed up for her next feature assignment with an exhibition gallop between races at Taupo on Friday. The Darci Brahma filly has had two starts as a three-year-old this season for two Group Three victories, capturing the Northland Breeders’ Stakes (1200m) at Ruakaka on August 16 and the Sunline Vase (1400m) at Ellerslie on September 20. Cambridge trainers Shaune Ritchie and Colm Murray are building her towards next Saturday’s Gr.2 Soliloquy Stakes (1400m) at Ellerslie, which will be her…
Leap To Fame beaten into second at Melton
By Adam Hamilton It was the biggest upset at Melton in decades. Leap To Fame’s stunning defeat last night rekindled memories of the night Courage Under Fire’s unbeaten streak came to an end at Moonee Valley on January 22, 2000. It was just Leap To Fame’s 14th defeat in 71 career starts and his first in his past 10 starts. Things looked good in the run when Grant Dixon was able to quickly work around and take Leap To Fame to the lead. But the first worrying signs came when…