By Michael Guerin When a great horse gets cut down by injury at the peak of their powers you can wonder whether they will ever be as good again. In the case of outstanding trotter Bolt For Brilliance, champion trainer-driver Tony Herlihy has no doubts. “Bolt”, as he is known, returns at Alexandra Park on Friday 10 months after fracturing his leg when hot favourite to win the Inter Dominion Trotting Final. He came off the track sore at Geelong on December 3, having finished a close second to eventual…
Author: NZHarnessNews
Retirement confirmed for AG’s White Socks
By Dave Di Somma, Harness News Desk Multiple Group-winning pacer A G’s White Socks has gone full circle. Foaled at Pat Laboyrie’s property near Lake Karapiro in the Waikato in 2013, the nine-year-old gelding will now spend his retirement there, after the owners decided to call time on his racing career. “It’s just he’s feeling a bit of wear and tear, he was feeling sore so we decided to not bring him back into work,” says Laboyrie. Recently the owners, including Laboyrie, brought the son of Rock N Roll Heaven…
Late push sees Blue September top $30,000
Harness Racing New Zealand’s annual fund-raiser for the New Zealand Prostate Cancer Foundation has raised over $30,000. The Blue September campaign finished with a bang, with 12 wins at Cambridge and Gore on Thursday, and two more on Friday at Addington. Money was raised every time one of the Blue September ambassadors won a race during the month, with contributions coming from HRNZ ($100 per win), clubs and the drivers’ individual sponsors. In all the ambassadors racked up exactly 50 wins with the country’s top driver Blair Orange leading the…
Cameras to be worn by RIB investigators from today
Body worn cameras (BWCs) are being introduced by the RIB from 2 October 2023, primarily to protect the safety of our investigators, while also providing evidential benefits. A BWC is a small camera worn on the clothing or attached to a vest worn by an investigator, used to gather audio and video. Research shows these cameras, commonly worn by people in compliance roles, will be a deterrent against anti-social and obstructive behaviour such as verbal or physical abuse, which may occur while Investigators are making enquiries in the course of…
One-on-one with the O’Reillys
In the latest in his series Greg O’Connor goes one-on-one with the O’Reillys.
Harrison Orange making a name for himself in north
By Brigette Solomon While we are very familiar with the Orange surname heading the Drivers’ Premiership Table, it’s Harrison Orange’s name that has begun appearing alongside Trial winners in the North Island. Harrison is the son of successful reinsman Blair Orange, a five-time New Zealand Drivers Premiership winner who looks set to make it a sixth this season. His Mum, Lisa Godsall, also had success as a Junior Driver. The 16-year-old, originally from Canterbury, began his career in harness racing in earnest this year achieving his Trials Licence in April…
The latest from the trials – September 29
Now that many of the very best horses are coming out to play we are regularly updating what’s happening at the trials right around the country. Here’s the latest installment. Invercargill Workouts Friday 29th SeptemberWeather Showery Track Easy Miki Knows (4g Always B Miki – Who Knows) The Douglas trained winner of three (from only 9 starts) raced third of four in indian file mostly but was back to last at the 400m peg when ‘tailender’ Joe’s Rock improved to challenge pacemaker Raklou (2yo filly), came stylishly down outer to…
Gerard O’Reilly nabs double in Timaru
By Jonny Turner It has been a little while since he’d been in the winner’s circle, but Gerard O’Reilly showed he hadn’t lost any of his class with two pinpoint drives to score at Timaru on Sunday. The Ashburton reinsman hadn’t won a race since his winning double on the same track back in May. O’Reilly underwent hip surgery over the winter, ruling him out of his training and driving duties for a good part of the winter. The reinsman returned to the sulky last month racking up placings before…
In-form Hopes take five to Timaru
By Jonny Turner Team Hope will seek more success at Timaru on Sunday following the outstanding win of Muscle Mountain at Addington on Friday night. The star Greg and Nina Hope trained trotter put a surprise fresh up defeat behind him when powering to victory in his second start of the spring. After copping a check that set him a huge task in his first run back, the trotter got a much more suitable trip on Friday night. “He went super fresh up, but copping that check at the start…
Republican Party seals place in the IRT New Zealand Cup
By Michael Guerin Team Dalgety’s dream double at Addington may have left them looking for a New Zealand Cup driver. Husband and wife training team Cran and Chrissie Dalgety combined to win the two pacing features on Friday night with Republican Party downing many of our best pacers in the Lamb And Hayward Canterbury Classic after Coney Island Lou won the Kennard Bloodstock Lazarus Stakes. Both used the passing lane to beat more favoured rivals who had harder runs but both wins were arrivals in the big time that showed…