Author: NZHarnessNews

Craig “The Whale” Thompson looks at Wyndham today.     

By Michael Guerin Tony Herlihy has been in a very forgiving mood this week but things are about to get more serious. The champion horseman was willing to forgive his stable star Bolt For Brilliance after he could manage only fifth at Kaikoura on Monday although it will mean he goes to the races on Cup Day rather than enjoying paddock life. “I think he was a run short and blew out,” says Herlihy. “He was very lackadaisical early in the race and while he made ground later I think…

By Joshua Smith, Harness News Desk Cambridge trainer Kyle Marshall took a big punt at the yearling sales last year when he paid good money for a couple of nice yearlings, and his bravery is paying off in a big way. Marshall went to $60,000 to secure Son Of Mac out of Leanach Lodge’s 2021 New Zealand Bloodstock Standardbred National Yearling Sale draft and went to the same amount to buy Yogi Son out of Breckon Farms’ draft. The talented horseman is now campaigning both horses down south and has…

By Adam Hamilton Champion trainer Emma Stewart admits to still being on a learning curve with high-class former Kiwi filly Amore Vita. Stewart and partner Clayton Tonkin were entrusted with training Amore Vita when Nathan Purdon returned to NZ. At her best, Amore Vita is as good as any filly in Australia, but she has been down a shade on her best form in recent months. “She hasn’t been here long, but we really like her,” Stewart said. “Nathan said she’s been getting a bit too keen in her races…

By Joshua Smith, Harness News Desk Petra Luzumova has just one concern with Streaming Live ahead of racing at Kaikoura on Sunday – the mobile. The four-year-old mare will have her first start behind the gate in the Vic & Irene Smith Memorial NZJD Champs Heat Mobile Trot (1900m), but the Oamaru trainer believes it won’t be a problem. “She has been in fantastic form but she is going to the mobile and we don’t know what she is going to do off the mobile, but we don’t think it…

Craig “The Whale” Thompson looks at today’s meeting at Kaikoura.   

By Michael Guerin A week after thinking Copy That couldn’t overcome a 55m handicap at Alexandra Park trainer Ray Green is now more confident he can win from a staggering 70m behind at Cambridge tonight. The defending NZ Cup champion finds himself in the scarcely believable position of being favourite to win the great race at Addington on November 8 again after his massive win last Friday while plenty of the other big names had form or manners issues in the Flying Stakes at Ashburton on Monday. That is just…

By Joshua Smith, Harness News Desk A three-peat beckons for Sarah O’Reilly in this week’s New Zealand Junior Drivers Championship, starting at Methven this afternoon.  The Canterbury reinswoman has won two editions of the series (2019 and 2021), joining a select group including Zachary Butcher, Simon Lawson, Anthony Butt and Tony Herlihy. She is hoping to go one better than her predecessors when she competes in this year’s series where she is hoping to join Maurice McKendry as the only other driver to have won three titles, with the veteran…

By Joshua Smith, Harness News Desk Hot And Treacherous has slipped three spots in the Group 1 IRT New Zealand Trotting Cup (3200m) rankings to sit in 16th position, one place outside of a guaranteed spot in the time-honoured race. He will have one last-ditch effort of making the cut when he lines-up at Cambridge Raceway on Friday in the Dunstan Horsefeeds Handicap Pace (2700m). He cost himself last start when making an early error, but trainers Brian and Gareth Hughes have put a line through that run and are…

By Jonny Turner Brett Gray brings fast horses to the fast meeting at Ascot Park on Thursday. Quickfire action awaits punters with the Fast10 harness racing concept back in action for the first time this spring across an eight-race card. Making a fast beginning will be the priority for the Gray trained Peregrine when she starts from a 30m handicap in race 3. That mark is no easy feat over 2200m at Ascot Park, but on the mare’s side she takes on just five rivals and she is usually a…