Author: NZHarnessNews

By Mike Love  The Dalgety team will be looking for a strong return from their four runners at today’s Banks Peninsula meeting at Motukarara.  Two of the four Cran and Chrissie Dalgety are lining up are first starters who have been performing well at recent trials.  Driver Carter Dalgety believes both Rocking Ruby and Marble Arch are worthy of the attention of punters.  The first of the first starters to race is Rocking Ruby ($2.80FF), in Race 3, the Brendon Friel Appreciation Club Mobile Pace over 2000m (1.06pm). Having qualified…

By Jonny Turner  Tyler Dewe’s been called the punters’ pal at Wingatui before and he hopes his popularity can rise again on Sunday. The Southland trainer will bring two horses north for Dunedin’s annual dual-code meeting with both set to start short-priced favourites. Seaside Charlie will be out to cash in after producing third placings in his two starts to date. Both efforts had real merit, though Dewe admitted he initially wasn’t thrilled with the latest of them. “I thought his first run was big and his second one was…

By Michael Guerin Alexandra Park awakes from its summer slumber tonight to set up northern harness racing’s two biggest months of the season. But with the meeting the first step down a long and steep path for many it provides punters with challenges trying to balance the sheer class of some against the race fitness of others. The $40,000 Lincoln Farms Founders Cup (7.56pm) is the best example of that as well as the night’s best race. It sees Republican Party return to the track where he has won two…

By Jordyn Bublitz Rack’em Up will look to make it two on the bounce when he lines up again today at Manawatu Raceway. The four-year-old son of Betting Line is trained and co-owned by Canterbury horseman Andrew Drake alongside partner Brianna Thomas, and he comes into the assignment off a determined victory earlier in the week. Despite drawing awkwardly in barrier 11 on day one, Rack’em Up proved too tough when driven by Andre Poutama. Forced to work early, Poutama pressed forward around runners to find the lead and once…

By Michael Guerin Harness racing’s big boys and girls return for a massive Friday night that kind of feels like it has snuck up on us. With eyeballs having been divided between grass track racing, mares Group 1 at Addington and a huge last six weeks in Australia harness which culminates in Saturday’s Miracle Mile, New Zealand’s biggest names have been on stand by. And when we think of the likes of Republican Party, Merlin, Akuta and their mates the mind could be excused for jumping forward to their next…

By Jordyn Bublitz   Rhaegal will look to continue his good form when he lines up in the Pete’s Plumbing Mobile Pace at Palmerston North today. The son of Fear The Dragon is prepared by local trainer John Gommans and comes into the 2000m event (6.36pm) following a strong last start performance at Manawatu on February 26.  The gelding was able to show his early speed in that race, pressing forward to find the lead before controlling proceedings from the front. Once in charge he dictated the tempo and proved…

By Mike Love  The Matt Purvis stable looks to be one to watch at Westport today, with a number of very live chances.   Two of his runners go around in Race 1, the Stu Bailey Memorial (Sponsored By Mark Jones) HCP Trot over 2600m. Drawn one is Learning To Fly, to be driven by Robbie Close. Having only her third career start today, she is backing up from her strong fresh up run for second at Addington back on February 19. Purvis is confident of the filly’s ability, but…

By Michael Guerin Cran Dalgety has his stable big guns in Auckland this week but he isn’t predicting them to be firing as the Northern Lights Autumn Carnival gets underway at Alexandra Park tonight. And that could act as a warning for punters eyeing plenty of other big-name horses at this meeting which is somewhat of a dress rehearsal for the weeks ahead. Dalgety and wife Chrissie train one of the most powerful teams in New Zealand harness racing, including Horse of the Year Republican Party, who is in Auckland…

By Adam Hamilton  Pinseeker’s hopes of making one of the strongest Miracle Mile fields for 20 years could rest on how the first 150 metres plays out at Menangle on Saturday night. If Jonny Cox can get across from gate two to head-off pole-marker The Janitor and find the pegs, it will be a huge boost to Pinseeker’s prospects. Only a top two finish in a star-studded $75,000 Bioworma Sprint (11.10pm) will guarantee Pinseeker a spot in the elite eight-horse Miracle Mile a week later. He still has a chance…