Author: NZHarnessNews

By Jonny Turner Matthew Williamson is a driver to follow at his home track at Oamaru on Wednesday. The reinsman combines with a great book of drives including Jovial Jay who caught the eye with his fresh-up effort at Winton. The Graeme Anderson and Mike Love trained pacer raced wide in the last 1000m of his last run before going on to hit the line strongly. With a little more luck in race 6, the pacer could take plenty of catching. “He went great first up and he has had…

By Michael Guerin Trainer Phil Williamson thought Majestic Man’s travelling days were over but now he hopes they last a couple of months. Williamson and his $700,000-plus earner will return to Victoria this week for what could be a six-week campaign starting with the $50,000 Dullard Cup at Melton on Saturday night. Majestic Man sealed his trip with an all the way win at Cambridge in January 12 but just as big a factor was who was not going to be there. “The last couple of seasons Sundees Son, Bolt…

By Michael Guerin Open class star South Coast Arden is off to Sydney and will join the Paul Fitzpatrick stable. The two-time Group 1 winner has not raced since finishing last in the New Zealand Cup won by Copy That on November 8 and has been spelling most of that time before spending a few weeks in treadmill training. Co-owner Phil Kennard confirmed the move to HRNZ and says he and the other owners see it as more likely to be permanent than solely a NSW campaign. “We had a…

As a winner of three of his last four races, Wy Fi looks to have a good future, and his new co-owner John Preston hopes he’s picked up a bargain. The Love You four-year-old was sold for $21,000 on Gavelhouse last week, with the horse due to arrive at his new home in Southland this week. “He’s a big and exciting horse,” says Preston, “and I was impressed with the way he bolted in at Motukarara.” Trained by the powerful All Stars barn, Wy Fi was three wide in the…

A $5000 bonus will be on offer in the deep south next month. The money will go to any horse that can win on all three race days – at the Gore Harness Racing Club meeting at Gore on February 19 and at the Wyndham Harness Racing Club’s two day meeting at Cromwell on February 24 and 26. In the event of more than one horse winning three races the prize will be shared. The $5000 incentive is a joint initiative agreed to by the Gore and Wyndham clubs. “We…

By Michael Guerin New Zealand pacing star Copy That’s Victorian campaign is already enormously more successful than his past attempts and that could create pressure for him to extend his stay in Australia to include a Miracle Mile. The South Auckland pacer was an easy all-the-way winner of the A$150,000 Ballarat Cup on Saturday night in the hands of Blair Orange and is now the warm favourite for the A$500,000 Hunter Cup at Melton on Saturday week. That is a vast change of fortune from this time last season when…

By Dave Di Somma, Harness News Desk  New Marlborough Harness Racing Club president Shirley Morrison couldn’t be much happier with the way the last few days have gone. She’s just overseen her club’s only two race meetings of the year at Waterlea Raceway in Blenheim, declaring them both a big success. “We had heaps of people on course, everybody had a great time, the weather played its part and there were great fields and good racing – that’s a pretty good combo.” Turnovers over the two days were also up…

  Local trainer Kevin Musso has extended his lead to 14 in the “Licence to Train” category in the new Seddon Trainers’ championship. Musso, who trains at Richmond Park at Nelson, has 35 points, helped by two fourth placings by Buddy Reign at Waterlea Raceway in Blenheim on Friday and Sunday. He is well clear of Blenheim trainers Kendra and Mark Gill who won with Amarla on Friday. They have 21 points. It was Kendra Gill’s first success in what is her second season training in partnership with her grandfather.…