By Joshua Smith, Harness News Desk Don Morrison and Stephen Doody have held a great friendship over several decades and they are hoping they can toast a victory together at Manawatu Raceway on Monday with their mare, Our Pegasus Pearl, in the Season Opener Handicap Trot (2500m). Doody has been a pillar of Central Districts harness racing for many years and struck-up a friendship with Morrison during the latter’s university years in the eighties. They have continued to remain close friends and have raced several horses together during that time,…
Author: NZHarnessNews
First NZ start, and stand, for Rock N Roll Doo
By Michael Guerin Rock n Roll Doo may be one of the most feared Australian horses to come to New Zealand in years but trainer Michael Stanley is warning punters not to expect his best work in the $50,000 Ashburton Flying Stakes today. The last-start stunning winner of the Victoria Cup makes his New Zealand race debut in his homeland (he was bred here) up against most of our leading pacers in what will be the pivotal lead-up race to the IRT New Zealand Cup at Addington on November 8.…
Beast From The East eyeing third Cup
By Jonny Turner The horse known as The Beast From The East is back and he is eyeing another Tuapeka Cup. A two-time winner of the spring feature and runner-up in the event last year, Robyns Playboy is back from Australia and ready to get his career back on track. New South Wales wasn’t the horse’s cup of tea, but the early signs trainers Ross and Chris Wilson are seeing suggest their Group One placegetter feels like he is ready to race like his old self again. “We were hoping…
Beach Ball looking to bounce back at Addington
By Joshua Smith, Harness News Desk Kevin Chapman has felt the world has been against him as he prepares his talented three-year-old Beach Ball for spring racing. The Somebeachsomewhere colt has had an interrupted preparation to date through injury and sickness, and Chapman is hoping the worst is now behind the Group One performer. “We have had a couple of hiccups along the line, so we are a bit like the piglet on the back tit at the moment,” Chapman quipped. “We were ready to go and then he hurt…
Majestic Cruiser starts his quest for the NZ Cup
By Adam Hamilton The New Zealand Cup build-up extends to Menangle on Saturday night. The second of the Aussie raiders, Majestic Cruiser, kick-starts his preparation for Addington on November 8 in a 2300m free-for-all at Menangle. It will be the Jason Grimson-trained star’s first run since winning the Group 1 Blacks A Fake at Albion Park in July. Despite drawing the outside barrier, Majestic Cruiser is a firming $2.25 favourite. “He’s fit and raring to go. The 2300m should help overcome the wide draw,” Grimson said. “He’s had a couple…
Handicap makes it tough for Copy That tonight
By Michael Guerin Trainer Ray Green is happy to set Copy That a mission impossible at Alexandra Park tonight for the bigger goal of defending his New Zealand Cup title. So punters shouldn’t be lulled into thinking the exceptional pacer can win tonight’s main pace by the fact champion driver Blair Orange is coming north just to drive him. Copy That will start off a 55m back mark in the 2200m feature pace and while he only has to give the other established open class pacer in the race Hot…
Aussie invader adds huge interest to Magic Monday’s Ashburton Flying Stakes
By Michael Guerin Trainer Michael Stanley couldn’t be happier with Australian superstar Rock N Roll Doo heading into his New Zealand debut on Monday but he still warns punters they may not see his best in the NZB Airfreight Ashburton Flying Stakes. The Victoria Cup winner adds big-time Trans Tasman rivalry to a Flying Stakes that includes most of the major chances in the IRT New Zealand Cup 15 days later, with the two biggest names not there being Copy That (Alex Park on Thursday) and Majestic Cruiser (Menangle on…
Dalgety squad primed for trip south
By Jonny Turner The chance for due reward awaits Trixton Time at Oamaru on Sunday. Trainers Cran and Chrissie Dalgety will take five horses south including their consistent squaregaiter. The trips south looks well worthwhile for Trixton Time who has been taking on much harder fields in Canterbury recently. “He has been racing some smart types recently and he slots into this race very nicely,” Cran Dalgety said. “The 30m back mark is never easy but on form, he looks well placed racing the horses in front of him.” “His…
Manners key with Muscle Mountain
By Joshua Smith, Harness News Desk There just seems to be one chink in Muscle Mountain’s armour – his standing start manners. It has been a mountain trainers Greg and Nina Hope have been trying to conquer and it is one they lost last start when the Muscle Hill five-year-old broke from his back mark, costing him all chance in his 2600m event. However, Greg Hope is confident their charge will step away cleanly in the Gr.3 XCM Sport Canterbury Park Trotting Cup (2600m), and if he does Hope believes…
Confidence Akuta will be much improved at Addington tonight
By Michael Guerin Champion trainer Mark Purdon is confident Akuta can bounce back from being a failure to the punter’s pin up in the $100,000 Airpark Canterbury 3YO Flying Stakes at Addington tonight. Purdon has his usual dominant hand in the age group features on one of the biggest nights of the harness racing season, albeit with his male juveniles facing a serious northern raider in the unbeaten Merlin in the $200,000 NZB Standardbred Harness Million. But for all the talent on show tonight, including superstar trotters Muscle Mountain and…