Author: NZHarnessNews

By Jonny Turner Kirstin Green has landed in the perfect spot as the All Stars stable attempt to continue their dominance of the Group 3 Macca Lodge Kindergarten Stakes. Green links up with Mark and Nathan Purdon trained Vessem who starts in the time-honoured Wyndham feature alongside his stablemate Major Hot. The All Stars stable have produced nine of the last ten Kindergarten winners with Mark Purdon involved in eight, while Hayden Cullen produced Akuta to win two years ago. Green is thrilled to get the chance to pull on…

By Michael Guerin For a race that might only last 112 seconds tonight’s Dunstan Horse Feeds Waikato Flying Mile at Cambridge could very quickly develop into two separate races. One could contain those who find themselves handy before the red-hot field gets to the winning post the first time, the other less competitive race could be for those who don’t. Both divisions will be fascinating not only for punters tonight but those hoping for the ultimate guide to next week’s $1million Race by Grins. Tonight’s sprint contains seven of the…

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

Check out this week’s Box Seat with hosts Greg O’Connor and Matt Cross.   

By Jonny Turner Punters may have had a few regrets after Shepherds Delight ran to an impressive victory at Timaru on Tuesday. The pacer brought up the first leg of a winning double for trainer Ivan Court with a polished display in race 3. As he did with Shepherds Delight, Tim Williams also gave Bondi Lustre a perfect run as she went on to take out race 6 for Court. Shepherds Delight produced an outstanding beginning, as so many of Court’s horses do, then proved impossible to catch in his…

Addington is gearing up for one of its best days of racing this year. This Saturday’s Racing Rewards meeting features 11 races with the TAB confirming there will be guaranteed $10,000 First 4s on all races, and a terminating Pick 6 on the last six races. Five Racing Rewards Showcase races – three pacing and two trotting – will be held. Each is worth $27,000. Formerly known as the RATTO Showcase, the series has been very popular. To qualify horses must have been R35-60 and 4YO and older from January…

By Michael Guerin Those hoping for a twist in the tale of the $1million Race by Grins got their wish when No Matter Wat was the surprise last invite on Tuesday. The New Zealand Oaks winner, who was barely out of maidens six months ago, has secured the last of the 10 slots for the race and will automatically draw barrier 1 in the 2200m mobile at Cambridge on April 14. In a bonus for The Race she will be driven by New Zealand’s most successful ever reinsman Tony Herlihy.…

by Jonny Turner Bob Butt has been around harness racing too long to get too confident about his first starter at Timaru today in Fight For Freedom. The full brother to Heavyweight Hero will make his debut for the Butt stable in race 2 at Phar Lap Raceway. If early betting on the race is anything to go by, the three-year-old is a huge winning threat. Punters snapped up the horse’s $2.30 early quote and he was quickly moved into $1.55 odds. Though Butt has a decent opinion of the…

By Adam Hamilton Former Kiwi pacer Betterzippit stamped himself as a major player for Perth’s new $1mil Nullarbor slot race with a stunning Menangle win last night. The five-year-old made it five wins from just six starts for training phenomenon Jason Grimson when he won by a huge space and smashed the clock. Betterzippit worked to the front and sailed away to win by 13.7m in a 1min48.6sec mile – that’s 0.2sec faster than Catch A Wave went to win last month’s Miracle Mile. Grimson didn’t hide his confidence in…

By Jonny Turner Always Ticking heads north seeking due reward in the Group 3 Leonard Memorial Stakes at Addington on Sunday. The Brett Gray trained filly brings exposed form to the fillies feature having produced two seconds to the smart Flying Ellie in her two career starts in Southland. Only greenness has stopped Always Ticking doing better for her owners Robert and Sharon Symon, who purchased the filly out of Canterbury recently. “Her greenness has cost her a little bit,” Gray said. “When we bought her we knew that she…