Paul Nairn thinks there could be an unusual reason for his affinity with Mt Harding Raceway. The Canterbury trainer has trained 15 winners at the Methven track, which doesn’t sound a lot until you consider 382 of his career 384 winners in New Zealand have been trotters and Methven don’t race often and have only 3 or 4 trotting races per meeting at the most. That and the fact Nairn doesn’t tend to line up horses for the sake of it and 15 trotting wins at Methven is no small…
Author: NZHarnessNews
Sand Wave ready for Wairio Cup tilt
by Jonny Turner Two of Southland’s star pacers are set for a battle royal in the Wairio Cup at Winton on Saturday. Open class stars Sand Wave and Macandrew Aviator have taken different paths into being the headline acts in Wairio’s annual 2400m feature. Macandrew Aviator comes into the clash fit and firing following his Northern Southland Cup win last week. Sand Wave hasn’t raced since beating a much lesser-assessed field at Gore late last month. Despite his lack of recent racing, the New Zealand Derby placegetter is likely to…
Folklore upsets in Mares Championship
by Joshua Smith, Harness News Desk It was a night of upsets at Addington Raceway on Friday night, headlined by Folklore in the Gr.2 Garrards ‘Premier Mares’ Championship Mobile Pace (1980m). The Jonny Cox-trained and driven seven-year-old paid $44.10 to win the night’s feature and did it in emphatic style, cruising away to a comfortable 6-1/4 length victory. “She has got a good turn of foot, but it just helps when they are going hammer and tongs up front and she was able to sit off the speed and had…
Wairio Betting Guide
The Wairio Trotting Club have taken the work out of finding a winner at their huge Wairio Cup Day meeting at Winton today. Check out our expert selections! Wairio Winners – Race 1 Stepping back from longer trips to this mobile mile event looks a huge positive for Minnie McGoogan. She gets keen in her races and it takes its toll over the staying distances, but there is little chance of that here. Jordan Anne is a very genuine trotter who should give her eachway backers a good sight. Dwindle Mist brings the…
Sand Wave crowned Southland Horse Of The Year
by Jonny Turner Sand Wave was crowned 2022 Southland Horse Of The Year and the Southland Harness Awards in Invercargill last night. During a brilliant three-year-old season the pacer won six of his 13 starts, banking more than $127,000 in stakes for trainer-driver Nathan Williamson and owners the Nine Three Syndicate, the Nude @ Ten Syndicate and Chris Alcock. Back-to-back victories in the Group Two Southern Supremacy Stakes and the Listed Sires Stakes Magnifique, as well as Sand Wave’s third placing in the Group One New Zealand Derby were clearly…
Mission accomplished for Resolve
By Joshua Smith, Harness News Desk It was a case of mission accomplished for Resolve at Cambridge Raceway on Thursday night. The five-year-old mare was sent north with the Gr.3 Waikato Trotting Breeders’ Stakes (2700m) in-mind and she rewarded her connections with victory in the Cambridge feature. Resolve’s task was aided when race favourite Double Delight broke near the start, losing all chance in the race. Resolve didn’t have all favours at the start either, with driver Matthew White having to navigate his way around a galloping Kimkar Dash. Resolve…
Butt’s mares ready
By Michael Guerin There are few things more dangerous for punters than lead-up races to group 1s but trainer Bob Butt can allay those fears around his two winning chances in the $50,000 Garrard Mares’ Champs at Addington tonight. Tonight’s $50,000 sprint is Addington’s first major race of the new season but is still a lead-up to the group 1 Breeders Stakes in two weeks, a race with significantly more value for a mare’s future breeding career. While many of tonight’s favourites, like the Butt pair of Manhattan and Callies…
Better’s Tart primed for Group Two
By Joshua Smith, Harness News Desk Better’s Tart is in the form of her life as she heads to the Gr.2 Garrards ‘Premier Mares’ Championship Mobile Pace (1980m) at Addington Raceway on Friday. The daughter of Bettor’s Delight has won all three of her starts this preparation, pleasing trainers Brent and Tim White. “She has come back a different beast this prep,” Tim White said. “She has developed into a lovely mare and what we always thought she could be. She has a bit of staying power now.” Better’s Tart…
Kite on the board in 2023
Oliver Kite got on the board in 2023 with a well-judged drive to win with Hurricane Hendrix at Oamaru yesterday. The junior driver scored the 12th win of his career when the pacer trainer by his boss Nathan Williamson went to the line untested in race 8. There may have been a few nervous moments for punters when Hurricane Hendrix stepped away slowly from the standing start tapes. But Kite felt he had the situation well in hand. “I just thought I wouldn’t rush him early.” “Once he was away…
Wairio Cup Day at Winton
The Wairio Trotting Club host their annual Cup Day at Central Southland Raceway in Winton on Saturday in a departure from the regular date which in past years was prior to Christmas. The Otautau Four Square Supermarket Wairio Cup for a stake of $20,000 over a distance of 2400 metres is the feature race of the eleven on the programme. The new January spot on the calendar makes the race day an ideal day for families says Club President, Rowena Mackintosh. “Bring a picnic and enjoy a relaxed atmosphere while…