By Adam Hamilton Champion horseman Luke McCarthy could hardly contain his excitement after New Zealand Cup winner Kingman drew perfectly in gate one for Saturday night’s $150,000 Group 1 Cranbourne Cup (2555m). It is a huge advantage when he clashes for the first time in the same race with both Leap To Fame and Swayzee. Leap To Fame, who led throughout to beat Kingman into fourth spot in last Saturday night’s Group 2 Ballarat Cup, will start from gate four. Swayzee, winner of two NZ Cups and the reigning Hunter…
Author: NZHarnessNews
Selections | Taupo
Selections for Taupo’s meeting today . Head to www.tab.co.nz to place your bet! RaceTime TrottechForm Analyst Race 111.30am 1 Buynowpaylater7 Aldebaran What5 Bella Muchacha4 Valentina Shevchenko Race 211.55am 1 Lincoln Maree7 Desistella8 Commander Lincoln10 Dream On Lou Race 312.22pm 8 Trifolium9 Brother Johnson6 Happy Hill2 Senior Constable Liz Race 412.55pm 5 Rasmussin Effect7 Get Set Party2 Valerei1 True Colours Race 51.22pm 10 McKendrick6 Melton Mogul5 Jahi3 Maria Kirilenko Race 61.47pm 7 Kenny Hill8 Conrad H5 Eagle Hanover1 Barsukov Race 72.15pm 1 Lincoln…
Butcher’s Little Beauty to sign off at Taupo
By Dave Di Somma, Harness News Desk David Butcher’s hoping for a fitting finale for the well-performed You Little Beauty at Taupo on Monday. The Sweet Lou six-year-old, who’s won 13 races, will make her final race day appearance in the day’s feature pace, the Dunstan Horsefeeds Lake Taupo Summer Cup (4.17pm). After the race she will head to the broodmare paddock as she’s in foal to Legendary Hanover. “I’d love to get her up,” says Butcher. After she started out with Ross Paynter, You Little Beauty has had 40…
John Morrison with eight drives at Ashburton today
By Mike Love Ashburton trainer/driver John Morrison will have a strong presence on his home track today, with eight drives and a number of each way chances. The meeting, that celebrates the various clubs of Canterbury, was transferred from Methven after it was deemed unsuitable to race on following this week’s bad weather. Morrison considers Destiny’s Dream as one of his best chances in the final race of the day, Race 11 the Ashburton MSA & Super Liquor Mobile Pace over 2400m. Coming into today after some credible runs at…
In-form Brett Gray team heads to Riverton
By Jonny Turner It would be a tall order to ask Brett Gray to repeat his recent success at Riverton on Sunday. The Ryal Bush trainer had his best season when notching 40 wins in 2025 and just two weeks into 2026 he produced his first trifecta when Anita Mary, Blaze Lightning and Jaccka Evan filled the first three at Ascot Park last week. “It certainly was a thrill, all three horses went well and it was good to see Anita Mary win for Paul Hailes at the Northern Southland…
Sticky draw for Bazooka at Addington tonight
By Michael Guerin This is the campaign in which Bazooka needs to stand up but trainer Steven Reid isn’t entirely sure tonight’s main pace at Addington will be the moment it happens. Bazooka resumes after a month away in the Touchdown Rentals Pace (8.55pm) in which he faces barrier 9 in the 1980m mobile but meets few horses with his natural ability. While Beside Me ($1.85) looked a superstar filly this time last year Bazooka ($3.70) looked an open class horse in the making a year ago. “To be honest…
Purdon with strong presence in opening Young Guns heat
By Michael Guerin Nathan Purdon has plenty of reasons to be excited as he heads to the first Alexandra Park meeting of the year tonight. Because not only does the meeting boast the first juvenile race of the season but Purdon dominates it with four of the seven starters. The $17,000 Breckon Farms Young Gun heat (8.05pm) starts a run toward the $100,000 final at Alexandra Park on March 20 and the series looks set to provide a great advertisement for Purdon’s new business now that he is training on…
Coppins heads back to Hawera “after one of the greatest days of my life”
By Jordyn Bublitz Kate Coppins is going into Tuesday’s meeting at Hawera high on confidence, but realistic that her career-best efforts at the course on Sunday will be virtually impossible to match, let alone beat. Yesterday the talented junior driver took out half the card, with five wins on the 10 race programme. “It was one of the greatest days of my life,” she says. On Tuesday Coppins has eight drives on the 10-race card and while momentum is on her side, she remains focused on staying grounded. “Dad always…
Typhoon Tere back at Blenheim after five year absence
By Dave Di Somma, Harness News Desk What a story it will be if Typhoon Tere could pull off a victory at Blenheim today. Incredibly, the nine-year-old son of Washington VC is having just his second race day start, over five years after his debut at Addington. Then (July 24, 2020) he was trained by Ken Barron. Now he is under the care of Jason and Ian Thomas. Recent years have had their challenges. “At one stage he cracked a pastern and had to be boxed for a…
Last dance for 12 race-winning mare at Blenheim
By Michael Guerin Dance Till Dawn gets the last chance to add the icing to her career cake at Blenheim this weekend. The seven-year-old mare is preparing for her final weekend of racing before being retired to stud, in foal to Downbytheseaside. She is the third mum-to-be from the Dunns’ Diamond Racing team to finish racing this month, following on from Follow Your Dream and I Dream Of Jeannie. Dance Till Dawn has had a superb career for Team Dunn, having won 12 of her 88 starts and earned over…