The Oamaru Harness Racing Club has continued to provide all of the information punters need ahead of the huge Placemakers Hannon Memorial meeting on Sunday. Following interviews with Mark Purdon and Cran Dalgety, the Oamaru HRC Facebook page features more chats with leading trainers and drivers who have key runners entered in our feature races. Racing journalist Jonny Turner caught up Tim Williams to discuss the progress of Alta Wiseguy who goes into the Hannon Memorial second up on the back of a big win in the New Brighton Cup.…
Author: NZHarnessNews
Donmaro primed for Harness 7000
By Joshua Smith, Harness News Desk Progeny of sires with a service fee less than $7,000 will get their moment in the sun at Addington Raceway on Friday. The Listed Woodlands Stud Sires’ Stakes ‘Harness 7000’ Mobile Pace (1980m) has attracted a field of nine, and trainer Rodger Austin is hoping he has a leading contender with Donmaro. The three-year-old son of A Rocknroll Dance has been in fine form this season, winning four of his seven starts and was runner-up at Addington Raceway earlier this month when resuming. Austin,…
Harness racing’s five things not to miss
Journalist Michael Guerin casts his eye over a busy few days for harness racing, including Oamaru’s mega day on Sunday, and finds five things not to miss. 1: Placemakers Hannon Memorial, Oamaru on Sunday: Story lines aplenty because Akuta could win and tightened further in IRT NZ Cup market or he could be unplaced (highly unlikely) and his Cup dream falter. But we also see the return of the pride of the south in Pembrook Playboy and Krug, who has had the rugged introductory season most pacers needs in open…
Wizards set to continue magic at Auckland
By Joshua Smith, Harness News Desk Connections of undefeated two-year-old Merlin are hoping the magic continues with their colt at Alexandra Park on Thursday night. The Barry Purdon and Scott Phelan-trained juvenile has been a revelation in his freshman season, winning all five of his starts to date, including the Group 2 Young Guns Cardigan Bay Stakes (1700m). The son of Art Major resumed with a pleasing three-quarter of a length victory at Alexandra Park a fortnight ago and he will be out to repeat the performance in the Sweet…
Oamaru gears up for massive Hannon Memorial meeting
The Oamaru Harness Racing Club has all the information punters need ahead of the huge Placemakers Hannon Memorial meeting on Sunday. The Oamaru HRC Facebook page is packed with interviews with leading trainers and drivers who have key runners in the feature events on our huge day of racing. Racing journalist Jonny Turner caught up with Mark Purdon to discuss the impressive team he starts at our meeting. Purdon and training partner Hayden Cullen step out their classy three-year-old Akuta in the Hannon Memorial, as well as starting a number…
Classie Brigade – “he’s been a wonderful horse”
by Dave Di Somma, Harness News Desk They dreamed of winning a fourth consecutive Kaikoura Cup with him but age has finally caught up with the grand campaigner that is Classie Brigade. After finishing ninth in Alta Wiseguy’s New Brighton Cup at Addington on Friday the decision was made over the weekend to retire the nine-year-old gelding. “He’s a wonderful horse,” says co-owner Grant Eynon, “but he showed us that he’s had enough.” “He has lost a metre or two of speed and you just can’t do that against the…
Breeding oddity tearing up at the trials
by Dave Di Somma, Harness News Desk Robert Anderson admits he wasn’t sure what to expect when he bred a Sundon mare to a pacing stallion. But judging from her sizzling form at the trials Jezebel looks to be an exciting prospect. “I’ve never had one who works like she works,” says the North Canterbury-based trainer-driver, “she’s big and powerful and glides over the ground.” Four-year-old mare Jezebel is by Sir Lincoln out of Proserpina. She was an unraced mare by Sundon out of Smooth Nero. Smooth Nero, a good…
Aardie’s Express makes Fillies Final
Boom filly Aardie’s Express has joined First Rose in qualifying for the Nevele R Fillies Final at Addington on Cup day on Tuesday, November 8. The Telfer-trained star sealed a place in the Group 1 Final with an impressive victory over True Fantasy in heat two of the Nevele R Fillies Series on Friday night. From a potentially awkward second row draw Tim Williams extricated Aardie’s Express off the fence to take the lead with over a lap to go. From there the outcome was not in question. It was…
Aussie News : September 12
by Adam Hamilton Former Kiwi horseman Brent Lilley’s assault on the upcoming Inter Dominion trotting series just keeps gathering momentum. Waiting to resume is brilliant young mare Queen Elida, while four-year-old stablemate Aldebaran Zeus has returned in fantastic style. Aldebaran Zeus graduated to feature open-class race winner when he worked to the front and staved-off a gallant reigning Inter Dominion champ Maori Law to win the $50,000 Group 1 Australasian Trotting Championship (2760m) at Melton. Chris Alford drove superbly, dictating terms before breaking his rivals with a 27.6sec split down…
Jerry Garcia on song at Methven
By Joshua Smith, Harness News Desk Evergreen trotter Jerry Garcia continued to belie his age at Methven on Sunday when winning the Methven Seed Cleaning Trot (2400m). It was his sixth trotting success after previously posting nine wins as a pacer, and trainer-driver Leo O’Reilly is hoping he can further add to that tally before the 12-year-old gelding his aged out of racing at the end of the year. “I am really happy, he went really well. He has been a grand old campaigner,” O’Reilly said. “We were quite happy…