Author: NZHarnessNews

By Jonny Turner Chelsea Faithful has her team ready to secure her a win on her birthday at Wyndham on Thursday but draws aren’t going to make things straight forward. Faithful was looking at starting three of her small stable in the race 9 but the scratching of Vin Scully leaves her with two solid chances in Owes Me Dough and Arnie’s Army. Arnie’s Army is one of two horses Faithful has drawn barrier 1 on the second row, with Tartan Raider in race 7 also lining up from the…

By Joshua Smith, Harness News Desk Amongst the young thoroughbred stock being prepared for the yearling sales at Carlaw Park, two standardbreds take pride of place. The farm was founded by Peter and his wife Roslyn, with their daughter Nicole and her fiancé Nick Fairweather operating the main arm of the business – preparing yearling thoroughbreds for the sales. “They have got their business up to a place they are happy with and things are going great,” Peter Brown said. While thoroughbreds take up much of the farm, harness racing…

By Jonny Turner Plenty has changed for Cranbourne ahead of his return to defend his Group Three Methven Cup title on Sunday. But not everything. The pacer will attempt to replicate his 2021 victory in the 3000m New Zealand Cup lead-up when he takes on a capacity field packed full of talented horses. Following an outstanding summer and autumn campaign Cranbourne returns in 2022 as a more established open-class force. But in his first run of the season, the five-year-old showed an old trick that he had previously put behind…

By Michael Guerin Starting a new campaign off a 30m backmark in a fast class race at Alexandra Park is rarely a recipe for success. Unless you are superstar trotter Bolt For Brilliance in the $20,000 Kitchen Things Trot tonight, the second leg of a feature race double which starts with the pacers in the Holmes D G. For all the talents of horses like Hot And Treacherous and Old Town Road in the pacing feature, the star of the night should be Bolt For Brilliance who smashed his opposition,…

The Northern Southland Trotting Club has made picking a winner at their twilight meeting on Friday even easier. Northern Southland TC Form Analysis – Race 1 A tricky race to start the day but the good news is the punting only gets easier from here. Several horses in this race have genuine eachway claims including Cool Phelan. This mare was beaten by two of her rivals in her last start but she impressed when working very hard throughout. Abacardi Hazel is an honest type with good manners and could offer…

By Jonny Turner Craig Ferguson pulled off a trotting masterstroke at Addington last week and he’s looking to do the same again at the Northern Southland twilight meeting on Friday. On the back of producing Smokin Bandar to beat Muscle Mountain and Sundees Son at Addington, the reinsman will attempt to guide home another smart type in a strong field. Ferguson has picked up the drive behind the Phil Williamson trained Majestic Love in the Southland Trotting Oaks. The filly comes into the feature event after going down narrowly to…

By Joshua Smith, Harness News Desk Group One performer Hot And Treacherous will begin his path towards the IRT New Zealand Trotting Cup (3200m) at Alexandra Park on Friday night. The 10-win pacer was in outstanding form earlier this year, posting two wins and four placings from nine starts, including victories in the Gr.3 Summer Cup (2200m) and Gr.2 Pacers Flying Mile (1609m), and was runner-up in the Gr.1 Taylor Mile (1609m). Trainers Brian and Gareth Hughes were pleased with their gelding’s sole workout in the lead-up to his first-up…

By Michael Guerin Trainer Brent Mangos couldn’t have been happier with how South Coast Arden’s spring campaign has started until he saw the weather report for Canterbury this week. The Pukekohe trainer is still in the South Island after his stable star caught the eye storming home into fifth in the Canterbury Classic at Addington last Friday in the first start of his new campaign. Going into the race on the back hoof fitness-wise and with his coat still to have fully turn, South Coast Arden pleased Mangos with everything…

Craig “The Whale” Thompson looks at Timaru today.     

By Joshua Smith, Harness News Desk It’s not every day Ricky Allen gets to race for a $20,000 purse with his trotter Cody Banner, but he will get that chance at Timaru on Sunday courtesy of the Spring Rewards initiative. The pacing-bred trotter has been in a purple patch of form, winning two and runner-up in one of his last four starts, and Allen is hoping the Bettor’s Delight gelding can get the lion’s share of the prizemoney on offer in the Canterbury Long Run Roofing Timaru Spring Rewards Handicap…