Author: NZHarnessNews

By Mike Love  West Melton trainer Joseph Gray is set for a busy afternoon at Rangiora today, with three runners across the card. Gray’s best hope comes in Race Six, the Enjoy and Support Kidz Carts Racing At Rangiora Today Pace over 2600 metres (3:04pm), where junior driver Alana Cameron will take the drive on the Stay Hungry four-year-old gelding John Stewart ($2.80FF). “He’s a nice horse. He’s come on well from his last race where they went a New Zealand record on the grass,” Gray said. Having won three…

By Jonny Turner  Craig Ferguson knows the first few metres of the Group 3 events on Macca Lodge Northern Southland Cup Day could be as crucial as the last. Ferguson links up with two key chances in Validation in the Caduceus Club Of Southland Alabar Fillies Classic and Wag Star in the Macca Lodge Northern Southland Cup. Validation is the only filly in her field of youngsters to have been to the races ahead of Sunday’s Group 3.  The Ross Houghton trained two-year-old led early from barrier 1 in her…

By Michael Guerin Outstanding young driver Crystal Hackett could start the next phase of her career on a high at Alexandra Park tonight. The Group 1-winning driver has moved employers after nearly five years working for Barry Purdon and Scott Phelan during which time she drove 168 winners in New Zealand and has been the leading junior driver in the North Island three times before finishing second on that table to Harrison Orange last year. She also drove Mach Shard to win two Group 1 races and has become a…

By Michael Guerin Punters shouldn’t be put off by Muscle Mountain missing the logical lead-up to Friday night’s $100,000 Fred Shaw Memorial NZ Trotting Champs at Addington. Because co-trainer and driver Ben Hope says that was by design and the big fella is exactly where he needs to be for his shot at winning the Group 1 for the fourth time. While many of his rivals clashed in the Lamb And Hayward Classic won by Eurostyle two weeks ago Muscle Mountain was enjoying a night off at home. “We chose…

By Dave Di Somma, Harness New Desk   Hawera trainer Willie Fleming can’t remember the last time he had such a short-priced favourite at the races. At Palmerston North today he lines up well-performed maiden Run Blaze Run in the Manawatu ITM Mobile Pace. After being placed second in his last four starts the Betterthancheddar five-year-old is currently at $1.55 to finally break through. “He’s overdue really isn’t he?” laughs Fleming. “You’d like to think today is the day but racing’s racing and anything can happen.”  To be driven by…

By Jonny Turner  Macca Lodge could get rewarded for their great support of southern harness racing at Winton on Thursday. The Northern Southland stud and stables will start four horses at Central Southland Raceway three days before they again sponsor the Group 3 Macca Lodge Northern Southland Cup. Co-proprietor Brent McIntyre is rapt with the depth of the Northern Southland Cup field and just about as pleased with his four-strong Winton squad. McIntyre and his stable head Carl Hanna will combine with maiden trotter Raffie Jay in Thursday’s opener. The…

By Dave Di Somma, Harness News Desk Kyle Cameron doesn’t know what to expect at Addington today. The Fernside-based trainer-driver will take two of his own to the races in Style Council (R1) and  Special Edition (R5) and also drive Natives Inferno (R2), Prince Teka (R4) and Hez A Loch (R7). “You could easily see a few of them run in three or none of them run in three,” says Cameron, “but at least we’ve got a bit of hope.” In Race 1, the Diamond Racing Lot 54 Shares Available…

By Jordyn Bublitz  With two runners in the same race, Levin trainer Murray Gibbs is hopeful about his chances at Manawatu tonight. Stablemates Bet On Polly and Genuine Imitation both bring strong form-lines into Race 3, the Dunstan Horsefeeds Supports NI Breeders Mobile Pace (5.49pm). Bet On Polly, a five-year-old daughter of Betting Line, was outstanding at her most recent start at Palmerston North. Sent straight to the lead, she ran her rivals into the ground and dug deep late to score by half a neck in tough fashion. “I…

By Mike Love  Leeston trainer Paul Nairn will take four runners to today’s Ashburton meeting. A hot favourite, Waterloo Station will be his headline act in Race 7, the Front Lea Partnership Handicap Trot over 2400m (4:10pm).  Driven by Bob Butt, the four-year-old Waterloo Sunset gelding will need to overcome a backmark of 20 metres, but stable representative Stacey Whatuira believes he should do just that.   “It’s an ideal race for him. He’s working well too. I think he’d be the one to beat. He likes Ashburton, with the…

By Jonny Turner  Group 1 formlines trump track stats according to the market for today’s  Cromwell Fruit Bowl (3.53pm). The top three horses in early betting for the 2600m staying test come into the race from very different angles. Race favourite Beach Day was a respectable fourth in the recent Group 1 New Zealand Standardbred Breeders Stakes at Addington followed across the line by race rival Ultimate Cullect. On Sunday, Beach Day will give a 10m head start to Ultimate Cullect and Hacksaw Ridge, who share a 10m handicap. Hacksaw…