Author: NZHarnessNews

Bet N Win too good in Rowe Cup

NZHarnessNews

By Michael Guerin The biggest decision of David and Stacey Whites’ training career may have been the race they chose not to start in. The greatest moment came a week later, in the $200,000 Reharvest Rowe Cup at Alexandra Park on Friday night. The Whites train Bet N Win, the horse we all thought would win a Rowe Cup one day but we were starting to doubt it might be this one. After starting 2025 so well the five-year-old was below par in his two runs at Cambridge and was…

Greg Sugars to be honoured at Melton meeting

NZHarnessNews

By Adam Hamilton  Greg Sugars will be honoured in a variety of ways, including a race named in his honour, at Melton in Victoria on Saturday night.  Sugars’ wife, Jess Tubbs, trains three of the nine runners in the Vale Greg Sugars Free-For-All (Race 5). Australia’s premier driver, James Herbertson, has jetted back from a working holiday in the US and will drive favourite, Rocknroll Hammer, in the race. Trailblazing female Kerryn Manning will drive veteran former Kiwi pacer Triple Eight for Tubbs, while Craig Demmler will be aboard former…

Crystal Hackett bags four at Palmy

NZHarnessNews

By Dave Di Somma, Harness News Desk  Palmerston North is not the most convenient place to get to for Crystal Hackett but the effort last night was certainly worth it. The Auckland-based junior driver won four races on the seven race card at Manawatu with Ragnar Lothbrok, Kenny Hill, Colin McBride and Skys Legacy. “A few of them just stuck their heads out at the right time and they all tried really hard so it was a good night,” says Hackett.  So which one was the most satisfying? “All of…

Fantom’s Rowe Cup double in the 1940s

NZHarnessNews

A new Rowe Cup champion will be crowned at Alexandra Park tonight. The $200,000 feature has three trotting millionaires in Oscar Bonavena, Muscle Mountain and Queen Elida all vying for more Group 1 glory, but none of the 12 horses that will line up at 9.28pm have won it before. Since the first Rowe Cup in 1918, there have been an elite group to have won it multiple times. The great Lyell Creek is the only trotter to have won three times and two-time winners include Sundees Son (2019-2021), I…

Arthur Shelby aiming to go four from five at Addington tonight

NZHarnessNews

By Michael Guerin Trainer Brendon Hill has no concerns about Arthur Shelby stepping up in grade at Addington tonight. Because he knows where the exciting pacer is heading. Arthur Shelby has won three of his four starts and was brave beating Trump Card in a R50-60 race at Addington last Friday. He moves into R58-69 grade in the Share The Dream With Woodlands Stud Mobile Pace (8.35pm) against the likes of Xlendi and Radha tonight but Hill says the son of Bettor’s Delight isn’t finished winning yet. “I am not…

Rowe Cup and Roy Purdon Memorial highlight big night at Alexandra Park

NZHarnessNews

Friday Night Lights will be stacked with Group racing at Alexandra park tonight, highlighted by the Rowe Cup and the Roy Purdon Memorial. Mighty Logan “can win” Rowe Cup  By Michael Guerin The man who knows how to win Rowe Cups is starting to believe his next one might come sooner than expected – like at Alexandra Park just after 9.30pm tonight with Mighty Logan. John Dunn reined Sundees Son to win Auckland’s biggest trotting race in 2019 and 2021, only Covid canning the 2020 Cup costing him a likely…

Big Al’s big win at Addington

NZHarnessNews

By Dave Di Somma, Harness News Desk   For many reasons last night’s win by Big Al on a wet and punishing Addington night was special. Trained by the father-daughter combo of Steve Clarke and Hayley Stewart, the What The Hill five-year-old, driven by Clarke, capped off a good run of recent form to secure his breakthrough win at start number 12 in the Mid Winter Xmas on Sale Now Trot. First and foremost it marked Stewart’s first ever training success, at start number 117. She’d previously had two placings…

Greg Sugars’ win in the 2022 Chariots of Fire

NZHarnessNews

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. My favourite Candyman moment By Brittany Graham  In a week that continues to feel unbelievable for all the wrong reasons, there was no other subject to discuss than that of Greg Sugars. The harness racing world was shattered on Saturday evening when the shocking news of the passing of Greg Sugars became apparent. Whether you…

Houses looking to back up at Manawatu today

NZHarnessNews

By Dave Di Somma, Harness News Desk  The “House” party looks set to continue at Manawatu today. The red juggernaut will be represented by 11 runners at Palmerston North this evening with all of them backing up from Tuesday’s meeting. Trainer Michael House had five winners then to take him to 903 career victories while son Wilson drove three of them on his 21st birthday – not that there was any huge celebration to mark the big event. “It was just a few drinks with dinner, nothing out of the…

Northern Final to be held at Cambridge on May 15

NZHarnessNews

The Northern Regional Pacers Final has been re-scheduled to Cambridge on Thursday, May 15. Originally the race was going to be held at Alexandra Park on ANZAC day (last Friday) but didn’t go ahead because of insufficient entries. The Final will be programmed similarly to the Auckland edition but with a $27,500 stake and a lower rating limit of R45 to try to attract more intermediate grade pacers. The race will still have a maximum back mark of 30 metres and be run over 2700m. Horses will be eligible to…