By Michael Guerin If Alexandra Park races true to recent form for tonight’s $200,000 Magness Benrow Sires’ Stakes there may be less winning chances in the Group 1 than it appears at first glance. Because while the race is the strongest of the three-year-old pacing fillies season so far the girls covering the least ground should hold a huge advantage. Tonight’s meeting caps a golden six weeks for northern harness racing but the most obvious trend has been the biggest race winners almost always coming from on the marker pegs.…
Author: NZHarnessNews
Addington to livestream Greg Sugars’ funeral
Greg Sugars’ funeral will be live streamed at Addington Raceway on Monday afternoon (May 12). The funeral will be held at Melton just outside Melbourne, starting at 2pm NZT. The service will be live streamed via thetrots.com.au and on the big screen at Spectators Bar and Bistro at Addington Raceway. It will be open from noon on Monday so that his friends and many in the wider harness racing community on this side of the Tasman can pay their last respects. A very popular figure, both here and in Australia,…
Why so many dead heats?
Presenter-driver-trainer Brittany Graham knows a thing or two about racing on both sides of the Tasman and now that the Queenslander is working for Trackside in this country she’s (reluctantly) agreed to write a weekly column. Why are so many races too close to call? By Brittany Graham What is it with all the dead heats that seem to be happening in this country? The latest was at Cambridge on Tuesday when Power N Glory and Beta Prepare couldn’t be separated in the first of the night, the Dunstan Horse…
Miki Bennett impresses with “huge” win at Addington
By Dave Di Somma, Harness News Desk Despite having the toughest of trips, Miki Bennett produced a powerhouse performance to highlight last night’s meeting at Addington. Driven by Nikita Burton, the Always B Miki five-year-old was last at the 800 in the Ladies’ Night 13 June Book Now Junior Drivers Mobile Pace. But Burton was unphased. She launched at the 600 metres and was forced five and six wide around the home turn before overhauling the leaders to win by nearly two lengths. Miki Bennett covered the last 800 in…
Julie Jaccka vying for hat-trick at Winton
By Jonny Turner Julie Jaccka can book her ticket to the big stage if she can continue her brilliant form at Winton on Thursday. The Brett Gray-trained trotter and junior driver Dan Anderson will be out to complete a hat-trick of wins after winning their last two starts together at Central Southland Raceway. Julie Jaccka went back-to-back at Winton before going on to run a solid fourth on Diamonds Day at Ascot Park last month. The Gray stable now has Addington in its sights if their consistent trotter can produce…
News Briefs – May 7
Kango’s retirement, the countdown to the Industry Excellence Awards and a harness racing establishment going under the hammer all feature in this week’s News Briefs. Kango retires Multiple Group-winner Kango has been officially retired after a racing career that netted 14 wins from 76 starts and earnings of $556K. The Arna Donnelly-trained son of American Ideal’s last race was a seventh in the Waikato Flying Mile at Cambridge on March 28. A noted and rugged front-runner among his biggest successes were the 2023 Roy Purdon Memorial, the 2021 Franklin…
Poutama grabs hat-trick at Cambridge
By Jordyn Bublitz It was a great night at the office for trainer-driver Andre Poutama at Cambridge yesterday, with the promise of more to come at Auckland on Friday night. The northern reinsman won three on the bounce last night, starting in race 5, the Off the Track Food and Bev Mobile Pace when he led all the way with his own runner Desert Dawn to win by a commanding three lengths. “He’s been going good he’s just had bad draws, I put the blinds on him because he drew…
Radioactive Jaffa needs pace on at Addington tonight
By Dave Di Somma, Harness News Desk Russell Kennedy is hopeful a fast tempo will play into his hands at Addington tonight. The Yaldhurst-based trainer lines up Radioactive Jaffa in the ninth heat of the Canterbury Plains Challenge Series. The Auckland Reactor nine-year-old heads into the race in fine form, having had three seconds in his last five starts. “He’s been the bridesmaid more than the bride …. but he’s working super and never felt better,” says Kennedy who also bred the horse, and owns him along with Wayne…
Re-shuffle of 2YO races at Addington
A new 2YO pacing Colts and Geldings race has been added to Addington’s meeting on Friday, May 16. The addition has been made after the 2YO race scheduled for this Friday (May 9) was abandoned. The May 16 race will provide an opportunities for the two-year-old males to race before the Group 1 Welcome Stakes on Addington’s Premier night on May 23. It will be run over 1980m (with PBD winning stakes using the track grid), and a stake of $17,000.
Grace period extended for Yearling purchase transfers
HRNZ has extended the grace period for ownership transfers of yearlings purchased at the 2025 NZB Standardbred National Yearling Sales. Buyers now have until 5pm on Friday, May 9 2025 to submit their initial transfer of ownership free of charge. Initially the cut-off date was Friday, May 2. After May 9, the normal $85 fee will apply. Even if ownership hasn’t been finalised, a transfer must still be submitted. You’re encouraged to list the nominated purchaser from sale day if final details are pending. The transfer form, along with a…