Author: NZHarnessNews

It’s the dinner break at tonight’s annual Harness Racing New Zealand awards at Addington Raceway in Christchurch, and it’s been full steam ahead with 20 awards presented so far. Nearly 300 of the sport’s highest achievers, including drivers, trainers, owners, and breeders, are at the function which is being MC’d by Box Seat host and well-known racing identity Greg O’Connor and Trackside presenter Nicole Sims. All the age group awards have been presented so far, and two new awards have also been presented – the Gavelhouse Newcomer to Training and…

By Joshua Smith, Harness News Desk The Mark and Nathan Purdon-trained Sherlock was backed into $1.50 favouritism for Friday’s Group 1 Alabar 3YO Classic (2200m) at Alexandra Park and he had to call on all his qualities to reward his backers. From his front row draw, driver Blair Orange elected to burn off the gate with Sherlock, however, his inside rivals had the same idea and he was posted three wide for the first 400m. When Sherlock was about to enter the parked position, Son Of Mac was navigated out…

by Jonny Turner Tayla Me is bred to be good and she lived up to her pedigree with an impressive display at Winton yesterday. The mare had little peace after finding the lead in the latest heat of the Southern Belle Speed Series, but it didn’t show when she powered to victory. A descendant of the super producer Scuse Me, Tayla Me was purchased by Manawatu owner Craig Crosse as a potential broodmare prospect. Trainer Brent McIntyre admitted after the mare’s impressive win that any breeding plans will be a…

Just a day after officially retiring, superstar trotter Sundees Son has been crowned harness racing’s Horse of the Year. The winner of 34 races and over $1.4m, Sundees Son’s racing career is over after X rays and a scan showed some bone bruising. He leaves the sport as one of its greats. Yesterday’s announcement that the eight-year-old has run his last race made winning tonight’s award all the more poignant for owners Colin and Nancy Hair. Sundees Son becomes the first trotter to win the Horse of the Year title…

Who will be Horse of the Year? The best of the best will be recognised at the Harness Racing New Zealand Awards in Christchurch tonight. Upwards of 300 of the sport’s highest achievers, including trainers, drivers, breeders, and owners, will be part of the night’s festivities at Addington Raceway, with doors opening at 5.15pm. It will be MC’d by well-known racing personality Greg O’Connor and Trackside presenter Nicole Sims. The function, starting at 6pm, will feature more than 30 awards, among them some new ones including the Future Wealth Stablehand of…

By Michael Guerin What happened at Addington on November 11, 2022 is exactly how a great horse should end his career. That great horse, a champion, was Sundees Son. And the $300,000 Renwick Farms Dominion was the race he never should have won. If you were there or have seen it, you will never forget it. It unfolded like this. The bigger, faster Muscle Mountain got the drop on little Sundees Son with driver John Dunn sweeping to the lead early then handing up. After Sundees Son worked his way to…

Reigning Horse of the Year Sundees Son has run his last race. It’s been officially announced that the superstar trotter has been retired, effective immediately, after X rays and a scan showed some bone bruising. The 12-time Group 1 winner finished with 34 wins from 72 starts and earnings of over $1.4m. To see the official release from Diamond Racing click here  

By Michael Guerin Voters faced an unusual challenge deciding the winners for tomorrow’s Harness Horse of the Year awards in Christchurch. The annual awards have finally bedded in in their new March home, having to be moved from the previous dates between August and as late as October because of the change of seasons. That meant the 2022 season  finished on December 31 so the awards given out tomorrow night will cover that entire year, rather than the August to July 31 period the awards used to cover. It tidies…

By Joshua Smith, Harness News Desk Kyle Marshall is gearing up for his move across the Tasman next month but before then he has got more pressing matters at home. The Cambridge horseman is moving his training operation to Cranbourne in Victoria. “We have got a couple of races here to focus on before getting them on a plane, so we are looking forward to them.” One of those races is the Group 2 Alabar 3YO Classic (2200m) at Alexandra Park on Friday night where the stable will be represented…

By Jonny Turner Smart debutante Always Ticking heads an outstanding book of drives Brent Barclay has at Winton on Friday. Barclay has driven several of the field for Southland’s first two-year-old fillies event of the season in their trials and workouts. So the reinsman is more qualified than most to rate the Brett Gray trained Always Ticking as a serious winning threat. The filly comes into race 1 on Friday after impressing in her most recent workout for the Gray stable. “I liked the feel of her in her trial…