Author: NZHarnessNews

By Jonny Turner Brad Williamson isn’t clearing space on his mantlepiece for the Otago trainers’ premiership trophy despite taking a one-win lead at Winton on Saturday. The Oamaru trainer did so in devastating style when Mixed Faith showed her true worth after dropping back from Group One feature racing. Williamson and his father Phil went into the second-last southern harness racing meeting of the season locked together on 24 wins for 2022. Either way the battle goes, Brad is likely to have a big hand in deciding the title. He…

In the words of race caller Dan Mielicki … “she’s back!” Star Kiwi-owned filly Amore Vita broke a nine race losing streak with a dominant win in her semi-final of the Vicbred series at Melton last night. It reinvigorated her prospects of successfully defending the Vicbred crown she was as a two-year-old almost 12 months back. The win came at her fifth run since Nathan Purdon returned to NZ and she was transferred to Emma Stewart and Clayton Tonkin’s stable. But standing in her way in the final in the…

By Jonny Turner Lone Wolf gave racegoers a glimpse of his true potential when he dashed to victory at Ashburton on Thursday. The pacer had handed out plenty of his headaches leading into his maiden win – to punters, to his owners and to his trainers Brent and Tim White. All signs leading into his victory suggested Lone Wolf was ready to make his amends and he definitely did that when winning for Sarah O’Reilly. “He has hurt us a few times making some bad mistakes, but we made a…

By Jonny Turner Saturday’s Christmas Eve meeting at Winton looms as a key point in what is set to be a nail-biting finish to two provincial trainers’ premiership Brett Gray heads into a nine-race card with a one-win advantage over Nathan Williamson, who has made the Southland trainers’ title his own in recent seasons. Ask either horseman who is going to win and they will suggest the other. And it is easy to see why with both trainers lining up a series of genuine winning chances at both Winton on…

By Joshua Smith, Harness News Desk Christmas came early for the Kentuckiana Lodge team when they picked up a winning double at Addington Raceway on Friday. Stable star Krug went into the Commodore Hotel Free-For-All Mobile Pace (1980m) a $1.10 favourite off the back of his Group 1 Invercargill Cup (3200m) triumph and won accordingly under a patient Carter Dalgety drive. The junior reinsman, who celebrated his first elite-level success behind the Bettor’s Delight entire last start, eased off the gate from his wide barrier and found the one-one behind…

By Joshua Smith, Harness News Desk Christmas has already come early this year for Tamahere trainer Sean McCaffrey, but he is hoping for more pre-Christmas joy when he heads to Cambridge Raceway on Saturday. McCaffrey’s exciting filly Con Grazia Love delivered an early Christmas present when she won the Group 1 New Zealand Trotting Oaks (1980m) at Addington Raceway last month, giving him his first elite-level success in several years. “She is the highlight (this season),” McCaffrey said. “She has already been to the top of the mountain and seen…

By Brian Cross When Ruby Malone took out the Country Feasts Mobile Pace at Rangiora last Sunday, Trent Yesberg celebrated his 50-win milestone as a trainer. He and his dad, owner/breeder Paul Yesberg, weren’t there to witness the milestone however. Both were in Perth for a family wedding. In fact such was the previous day’s big event that Trent slept through the race stream. Trent celebrates 50 winners five years after training his first – Blue Blazer at Addington in October 2017. That was at about the same time Trent…

New criteria have been approved to increase opportunities for the country’s junior drivers. Harness Racing New Zealand has agreed on the changes following extensive consultation between junior drivers, owners, trainers and other key industry personnel. Under the old rules – in broad terms – junior drivers had to be aged between 17 and under 30yrs and have driven less than 100 wins with a guarantee of 6 seasons regardless of the number of winners driven if under 25yrs. For drivers 25yrs and older the maximum number of seasons they could…

By Joshua Smith, Harness News Desk As the 2022 season draws to a close, Canterbury horseman Sam Smolenski is already dreaming of what next year holds for his talented trotter I Dream Of Jeannie. The Pegasus Spur mare had a pleasing five-year-old term, adding four wins to her tally, including the Group 3 Jasmyn’s Gift Fillies And Mares Stakes (2600m), and was runner-up to Resolve in the Group 2 Trotting Mares Handicap Trot (2600m) at Addington Raceway last month. She will return to the Christchurch track on Friday to take…

STATEMENT FROM HRNZ – Funding Update Following the TAB’s recent decision to reduce funding to all three racing codes, the Harness Racing New Zealand Board has today decided its response to the proposed shortfall. Due to trading difficulties, the TAB will reduce funding for the remainder of the current season by a total of $15m, with harness racing being impacted to the tune of $4.4m. The HRNZ Board met this morning to discuss potential options to manage the reduction in funding. It has decided on a three-point plan: 1. HRNZ will…