100 training wins for Jeremy Young, Terror To Love retiring from stallion duties, stunning sections from Menangle and a request for racing memorabilia all feature in this week’s News Briefs.
100 wins for Jeremy Young
Jeremy Young recorded his 100th training success when Big Herb and driver Sailesh Abernethy combined to win the Woodlands Stud – Here for the Horse Mobile Pace at Alexandra Park on Friday night. The outsider in the seven horse field prevailed by a length, paying $13.90. It was Young’s ninth win this year. His first win came with American Angel, driven by Maurice McKendry, at Alexandra Park in 2013.
Stud duties over for Terror To Love
Three-time New Zealand Trotting Cup winner Terror To Love has officially retired from stallion duties. The now 17-year-old, who won 31 races and nearly $2.5m in stakes, has been standing at Pinelea Farm in Canterbury since retiring in 2015. His NZ-bred progeny have earned more than $2m in earnings. Among his best performers have been the Group winning Smiffy’s Terror and 18-race winner Terry.
Mare off to be a mum
Group 1-winning mare High Energy (Father Patrick – High Gait) is off to the broodmare paddock. Breeder and owner Breckon Farms has called time on the five-year-old’s racing career after 12 wins from 37 starts and $239,991 in stakes. Among her stand out performances was her win in the 2YO Group 1 Ace Of Hearts Mobile Trot in 2:26.0 (MR 1:58.6) which set a New Zealand record for 2YO Trotting Fillies over 1980 metres. Her last start was a second at Alexandra Park on July 11.
Telfers and Orange well clear
With 115 wins this year, the Stonewall Stud team of Steve and Amanda Telfer are now 35 clear of nearest challenger Michael House in the national trainers’ premiership while the country’s leader driver Blair Orange has 112 wins, to be 26 ahead of Tim Williams on 86. In the junior drivers’ premiership Wilson House is on 62, his total for the whole of 2024, to be 12 wins ahead of Carter Dalgety. Such has been House’s success rate this year he is fourth overall behind Orange, Williams and Sam Ottley (64) though he’s been quieter than usual of late with just two wins in August.
New race for Addington
An additional race has been included at Addington for Friday, September 12. It will be a R40-50 Special Handicap Pace, with a stake of $17,000. The night will also feature the $50,000 Woodlands Stud Sires’ Stakes Harness 7000 (Listed) and the $25,000 Second Mares’ Spring Sprint Series Mobile Pace.
Sires’ Stakes success story
A capacity 13-horse field will face the gate for an always exciting 1700-metre race at Alexandra Park this Friday night (7.40pm). The opening heat of the 2025 Dunstan Horsefeeds Sires Stakes Series is already being hailed a success regardless of the result as far as NZSS Executive Martin Pierson is concerned.
To see the latest NZ Sires’ Stakes newsletter click here
Off The Canvas qualifies
A third TAB racing Club horse may not be far away from the racetrack. The Nathan Williamson-trained Off The Canvas qualified at Gore over the weekend in 2:48 to win by a neck. He was bought by the TAB Racing Club for $40,000 at the 2024 National Yearling Sales in Christchurch. The club’s first runner Eun Sogno won on debut at Addington this month while the sales-topping No More Dreaming, bought for $340,000, finished seventh debut in a good field at Alexandra Park last Friday night. Among the TAB Racing Club’s goals is to drive awareness and support for racing ownership and to give members the experience and benefits of ownership at zero cost. There are currently over 17,000 members,
Dunn creates Canadian history
Driven by Kiwi champion Dexter Dunn, Aetos Kronos has created Canadian harness racing history by becoming the first trotter ever to break 1:50. It happened in the Maple Leaf elimination at Woodbine Mohawk Park in Ontario when the Marcus Melander-trained nine-year-old won in 1:49.8. It continues a golden patch for Dunn of late. He has stakes earnings of more than $6.3m for the year and is fourth overall in North America, with Jason Bartlett leading the way at $9.5m. Meanwhile, two-year-old colt Al Papi has paced his way into the record books in Pennsylvania. Driven by Yannick Gingras at The Meadows, Al Papi beat the record for 2YO colts on a 5/8 mile track by winning in 1:49.4. It beat the old record of 1:49.8. It was Al Papi’s third win in five lifetime starts.
7 in a row for Miki Shan
An eight-race winner in this country for trainer-driver Maurice McKendry, Miki Shan has now won nine in North America this year. His latest success came at Prince Edward Island over the weekend. He is undefeated in nine starts in Canada after winning twice in the USA. Bred by Alabar, he sold at the 2021 NZB Standardbred national yearling sale for $55,000. Among his victories in NZ was the 2024 Group 2 Franklin Cup.
Catch A Wave’s huge finish
Enigmatic pacer Catch A Wave reeled off some incredible closing splits in winning at Melton in Victoria over the weekend. Over 1720 metres he came home from four and five wide from the 400 in 52.8 and 25.5 seconds. It was his 27th win from 59 starts, with his earnings edging towards $2.3m. The eight-time Group 1 winner will now head to the Len Smith at Menangle on September 6.
Hawkes with dual code double
John Hawkes is in the unique position of having a runner in the richest races of both equine codes in Australia. Hawkes, a passionate harness follower who raced many horses, has snared a slot in the $2.1m TAB Eureka at Menangle on September 6 with his emerging Geoff Webster-trained three-year-old pacer Seathestars. Already, the Hawkes-trained sprinter Briasa has a slot in the $20m TAB Everest – Australia’s richest thoroughbred race, at Royal Randwick on October 18.“Wouldn’t it be something to win them both,” Hawkes laughed. “It’s a big thrill to get Seathestars into the Eureka.” Seathestars has so far had six wins and eight placings from just 18 starts.
Breeders talk stallions
The Southern Standardbred Breeders Assn (SSBA) is hosting a special “Stallion Choice” evening at Ascot Park, Invercargill on Monday, September 1. The night will tackle subjects such as Stallion selection, breeding decisions and racehorse development. Start time is 7pm, with drinks and supper provided. Anyone keen to go should contact Gail Paisley at: gail.alan@outlook.com
Racing memorabilia wanted
The New Zealand Racing Heritage Group is forming a committee to preserve the history of racing over all three codes, with plans for website and a permanent display. They are on the lookout for racing memorabilia including stallion books, photos and scrapbooks as well as old Harness Weeklies or other publications. Anyone wanting to get in touch can contact the Group through nzracingheritage@gmail.com
