Author: NZHarnessNews

by Dave Di Somma, Harness News Desk  Ideally reigning pacer of the year Bettor Twist would have been lining up against the big guns at the New Zealand Cup at Addington on November 8. But now she’s been retired and has a spring date with a stallion – but with who? The four-year-old mare ran her last race in the Auckland Cup last Friday when she bobbled at the start and then ran home well to finish sixth, five lengths behind Self Assured. “Had she got away she would have…

The all-weather track at Rangiora has had a refresh. This week the old surface was removed and replaced with 430 tons (390 kgs) of new sand and chip. “It’s like painting a house,” says the chairman of the grounds committee at Rangiora Racecourse Erin Crawford, “it’s all in the preparation.” “It was a big effort” Racetracks generally are re-surfaced around every three years. “The track was beginning to look a bit tired and the work was definitely needed,” says Harness Racing New Zealand’s Venue Inspector John Denton, who oversaw the…

With the $50,000 Sheep Milk NZ Sapling Stakes (Group Two) the big feature at Sunday’s meeting at Ashburton here are 10 Fun Facts about the race. The Sapling Stakes is race 8 at 3.18pm. 1. The Sapling Stakes is the longest surviving juvenile feature in New Zealand and has always been held at Ashburton, except for 1940 when it held at Addington. It was not held in 1990 because there were 18 nominations but only five paid up. 2. The time-honoured Group race for the two-year-olds has been going ever since…

By Adam Hamilton  Almost three years after Cruz Bromac won the NZ Cup he is still on the feature race trail. The now 10-year-old is on trial for a Queensland raid when he resumes in the JD Watts Memorial at Menangle on Saturday night. Trainer Jason Grimson is delighted with his progress. Injuries have restricted Cruz Bromac to just 15 starts since that NZ Cup win on November 12, 2019 when part of the All Stars barn. Managing owner Danny Zavitsanos’ decision to switch Cruz Bromac to Grimson’s Menangle stables…

By Michael Guerin The rigours of New Zealand’s vastly changed harness racing calendar are set to decimate the team of talent invading the upcoming Queensland carnival. So much so that veteran pacer A G’s White Socks, on a one-way ticket, could be the only really big Kiwi name at the lucrative Constellations carnival which reaches its peak in July. The Constellations is the name given to the revamp of the Queensland winter harness carnival and it boasts some great stakes which lured New Zealand-trained superstars like Copy That, Amazing Dream…

Big upset for former Kiwi Former Kiwi pacer Majorca is going from strength to strength. Now the winner of five of eight races state-side she beat a field including Amazing Dream at Harrah’s Philadelphia at the weekend. Winning by three quarters of a length, her time of 1:49.3 was her fastest yet in North America. She won six from 48 for trainer Jamie Gameson before heading offshore last year. Meanwhile ex Kiwi Mr Perfect made his Aussie debut a winning one. Formerly trained by the Telfers, the Bettor’s Delight four-year-old…

Trainer-driver Sheryl Wigg has had her licences re-instated, after being disqualified earlier this year. In February Wigg was disqualified for one year and seven months after admitting charges of administering a substance to three horses before they were due to race at Alexandra Park. The disqualification came into effect on February 17 2022 and was to conclude on September 17 2023. She has since lodged an appeal with the High Court. The High Court has indicated it will hear the matter in August. Until that hearing she has been granted…

HRNZ is pleased to announce the appointment of Lydia Botha as HRNZ’s Accounting and Reporting Manager. Hailing from South Africa, where she qualified as a chartered accountant, Lydia has a wide range of experience across many industries and skill disciplines; from audit manager, financial and operations manager for an international sports brand, to running her own marketing and business development consultancy. Lydia is currently employed as a Business Advisory Services Manager for BW Miller Dean, where she looks after a broad range of clients, including non-profit organisations. Lydia believes in…

Here’s Greg O’Connor and Darrin Williams with the Addington News – May 31