Author: NZHarnessNews

By Jonny Turner Evangalist has the right form to clinch a deserved win at Ashburton on Mother’s Day. The Jason and Ian Thomas trained five-year-old has produced placings in her last two starts at Addington, with both coming in tougher fields than the one she faces in race 7. Jason Thomas’s mum Sue shares in the ownership of Evangalist and the trainer looks a big chance of delivering an outstanding Mother’s Day present. Bookmakers certainly think so – opening the mare at a $1.90 opening price in her junior driver’s…

By Michael Guerin The whip flourish from Korbyn Newman said it all. It may have also earned him a warning from the stewards for the 23-year-old horseman’s expression of sheer joy as he and one of his favourite horses Mighty Looee won the $90,000 Hydroflow Country Cups Championship at Addington on Friday. Newman had every reason to be be excited as not only was it the biggest win of his career but one of the most improbable as Mighty Looee only overcame a 20m handicap but also being last in…

By Michael Guerin Katie Cox has one of the best juvenile pacers in the country but now she has to figure out what to do with him. Cox was crowned the Queen Of Addington on Friday night as she trained and drove It’s Tough to win the Avon City Ford Welcome Stakes on debut over another debutante in A Little Silence. Winning a race as renowned as the Welcome Stakes at your first start is a massive deal but It’s Tough did it running past two All Stars-trained favourites in…

By Jonny Turner Gronkowski looks set to resume normal transmission for trainer Tyler Dewe at Winton on Saturday. Gronkowski along with Eyre I Will, James Cagney and Flying Bird look strong plays for win punters on a ten-race card at Central Southland Raceway. Race 5 – Gronkowski (2) – Opening Fixed Odds $2.70Tyler Dewe’s team has been a little quiet recently after a bug went through his stable.Dewe has clearly put the issue in the rear-view with the rookie trainer set to line up his biggest team at a race…

by Mike Love, Harness News Desk Gore trainer Tony Stratford will look to continue his team’s recent success with three runners at Winton on Saturday. Goma Dale, a four-year-old Auckland Reactor gelding, steps out for his debut with a handy barrier draw of two, in the Mico Plumbing and Bathrooms Mobile Pace. The gelding won his qualifier impressively at the same track on April 28th, stopping the clock at 3:02 for the 2400m mobile, and a sizzling 56.2 final 800m. Although he had a few heart in mouth moments over…

By Michael Guerin Mike Berger may joke these days about his age but that experience is helping him still train plenty of winners with his small team. Berger captured the first race at Cambridge on Thursday night when trotter Quik Sharnie made it two wins on end in the hands of Ben Butcher, downing leader Del Shannon via the passing lane. It was his seventh training success this year. But the Waikato trainer wasn’t there to see the win, watching from Canterbury where he is campaigning Cos I Can in…

By Michael Guerin John Dunn admits he and Triple G probably can’t beat hot favourite Don’t Stop Dreaming in tonight’s Garrards $150,000 Sires’ Stakes Final but he still has to have a plan to try. And for Dunn that plan means trying to get in front of the star colt and stay there. Don’t Stop Dreaming dominated many of tonight’s rivals in a heat of this series last Friday and moved into red hot territory when arch rival Merlin was scratched from tonight’s 1980m race with a hoof abscess. That…

By Michael Guerin Trainer Nicky Chilcott is trying to contain her excitement with New Zealand’s best early-season juvenile trotter The Moonstone. But it can’t be easy as the daughter of Monkey Bones has looked something special in her two unbeaten starts. The Moonstone was enormous winning on debut after an early break then was professional when beating surprise favourite High Step at Alexandra Park last Thursday. Both her wins have come in heats of the Young Gun series for trotters, a welcome addition, which has its $40,000 final at Alexandra…

Here’s Greg O’Connor and Darrin Williams with the latest Addington News.