Author: NZHarnessNews

By Michael Guerin Being called a square isn’t usually a compliment but when Barry Purdon says it about Merlin it is meant with love. And a warning. The $1million Race by Grins winner is back to work with trainer Purdon and partner Scott Phelan, one of a trio they have being aimed at the New Zealand Cup in November. The red hot stable also have Miracle Mile runner-up Sooner The Better and unbelievable Taylor Mile/Messenger winner Mach Shard for the great race, giving them rare control over their own build-up.…

By Dave Di Somma, Harness News Desk The Gavelhouse.com New Zealand Amateur Drivers’ Championships looks headed for a close finish on a cold and rainy day in Christchurch today. Just one point separates Michael House and Cheree Wigg with two races left at Addington this afternoon. Wigg, who is New Zealand’s representative at the world championships in Finland later this year, won the opening race at Cambridge on Thursday night with Midfrew Lucre, with House second with Dom Toretto. Despite being “crook all week” House then turned the tables by…

By Jonny Turner Max Hill can complete a frustrating journey back to the winner’s circle at Wyndham on Saturday. The junior driver returned to the sulky recently after a rugby injury had him on the sidelines over the past two months. Hill showed he hadn’t lost his touch with two second placings at Ascot Park last weekend. “It was a long eight or nine eight weeks out, but we are healthy now and it is great to be back out there.” It hasn’t taken the reinsman long to link up…

Selections for Wyndham today      Head to www.tab.co.nz to place your bet! Race Jonny TurnerRacing Journalist  Race 112.00pm  3 Hammer Down5 Hogie4 Glenkenick7 Top Pocket Chance  Race 212.25pm 10 Rakarompa13 Atalanta1 Meandmyshadow4 Ledger’s Maid  Race 312.50pm 5 Livy Desma2 Lorton Vale11 Robyns Hustler6 Hit The Lights  Race 41.20pm 5 Brookies Player6 Step It Up A Notch2 Bobbies Rock1 Jenny Gump  Race 51.47pm 6 Mad Jack5 Moment Of What7 Simone Lindenny4 KD Royalty Race 62.15pm 15 Zeke9 Black Pat7 Galleons Grandson5 Stella Bay  Race 72.50pm 1 Franco Messi3 Pounamu9 Haley Robyn10 Trail…

By Michael Guerin When you have trained the army of open class trotting stars that Paul Nairn has you don’t get carried away. So the fact Nairn thinks Tectonic can win his way to the big time makes him stand out in The Crossing Line Handicap Trot at Addington on a cold winter’s night. Nairn is widely regarded as the master of New Zealand trotting training even though he rarely has big numbers in work. It is a title that means something considering the trotting deeds over the last 20…

By Brigette Solomon With five drives at tonight’s Cambridge meeting David Butcher thinks most can feature in the top three. “Most of the horses I’m driving tonight have been racing well but they haven’t all drawn ideally to suit their abilities,” says Butcher, “so they’ll need some luck.” Butcher’s first two drives of the night are for Hunterville-based trainer Scott Dickson with Tres Bonne Fille and Ticking Over. Tres Bonne Fille starts in Race 3, the Watchu, Your Security Partner In NZ Mobile Pace over 2200 metres. The maiden three-year-old…

By Michael Guerin The New Zealand Cup may still be almost five months away that doesn’t stop Pukekohe trainer Jeremy Young from thinking about it every day. Young will take three horses to Cambridge tonight and could win two races, having two chances in Race 6, the Dunstan Horsefeeds Mobile Pace, with both Fifth And Final and Mantra drawn to be hard to beat. But Young has a far bigger target later in the season on his mind and he is going to get it his best shot at getting…

By Mike Love After reaching the 300 win milestone at Addington on Friday night Sarah O’Reilly is a good chance to add to that tally at the same course today. “It’s pretty awesome! I never thought I’d be able to achieve that when I first started driving,” said O’Reilly. She brought up the 300th with Tectonic and then got Shards Matrix home for Brent and Tim White. “The highlight so far this season though would have to be winning the Roy Purdon Memorial (listed) at Alexandra Park with American Me.”…

By Jonny Turner Losing one of her best drives may not spoil Kerryn Tomlinson’s day at Ascot Park on Saturday. Tomlinson will be unable to reunite with Dont Ask with the trotter retired and scratched from race 8. The junior driver recently formed a great combination with the mare, trained by Alister Black. “She would be one of the best trotters I have driven regularly down here,” Tomlinson said. “She had great manners and good speed, she was a lovely mare to drive.” Tomlinson isn’t lacking horsepower to work with…

By Michael Guerin John Dunn wants to achieve something that hasn’t been done in modern times, but even if he pulls it off he won’t get his name in the record books. Dunn dreams of winning both the trainers and drivers’ premierships this year, with the harness racing season running from January 1 to December 31. At the half way stage he has a great shot at both, kind of. But there are two small issues: he isn’t actually officially a horse trainer and to win the drivers’ premiership he…