Greg O’Connor and Michael Guerin join us for this week’s Auckland Cup Night edition of the Box Seat.
Author: NZHarnessNews
News Briefs : May 25
Watch Me Now beats big guns at the Big M Former southerner Watch Me Now has recorded an upset victory in North America. The classy mare, who won the Breeders Stakes at Addington before heading overseas, downed a quality field at the Meadowlands over the weekend that included Horse of the Year Test Of Faith and multiple Group One winner Amazing Dream. Watch Me Now was driven by expat Kiwi champion driver Dexter Dunn. It was her 12th win in 28 starts, her mile rate 1:49. The fastest time of…
All you need to know for Auckland Cup Night
It’s Alexandra Park’s big night. On Friday night the country’s best pacers and trotters will guts it out over 3200m in the Trillian Trust Auckland Cup and the Reharvest Rowe Cup. There are also the Group One Breckon Farms Northern Trotting Derby and the Magness Benrow NZSS Northern Mares Classic in what will be a mega night’s racing. We have all the information you need to know, with articles, opinions and bet selections. To see the special Auckland Cup Night lift-out click here
Long-serving Finance Manager to leave HRNZ
Following more than 27 years of service, Finance Manager Jenny Fleming is leaving HRNZ at the end of the month. After starting out as a part-time accountant, Jenny’s role grew to the point that she has led the Finance team and has been a key figure in the HRNZ administration, as well as being a key member of other projects like the centralised stakes payments system and the New Zealand Horse Ambulance Trust. Known as a straight-talker, Jenny has been a hugely popular team member and will be sorely missed…
The NZB weanling sale – it’s a numbers game
The country’s two biggest studs say numbers are behind the large draft they will take to Karaka for Thursday’s weanling sale. And with that comes opportunity. Woodlands and Alabar dominate the New Zealand Bloodstock Standardbred sale which has over 100 lots. “We breed around 150 foals a year between Paul and Mary (Kenny), my own and some of our staff even having a mare or two,” says Woodlands Stud boss Andrew Grierson, “we simply don’t have enough boxes to prepare that many horses for the yearling sales.” “Next year we…
Franco Marek goes four from four
by Dave Di Somma, Harness News Desk Lincoln-based trainer Greg Manson believes his star pacer Franco Marek could well “become something”. But he’s in no rush with the horse he says is just “a big kid”. The four-year-old has won four from four since March with Manson saying that next year’s New Zealand Cup is very much in his thinking. Bred by Spreydon Lodge, Franco Marek is by A Rocknroll Dance out of Miss Lisa. He was bought and trained by the late Donald Jones, who was Manson’s boss at…
Wildwest to debut for Team McCarthy
By Adam Hamilton Reigning WA Pacing Cup winner Wildwest finally has his first run for Team McCarthy at Menangle on Saturday night. The highly talented Kiwi-bred is owned in similar interests to King Of Swing and was across from Perth in the hope he could follow in that champion’s hoofprints. Wildwest made it 13 wins from just 28 starts when he caused a huge upset for trainer Gary Hall Sr to win the Group 1 WA Pacing Cup at Gloucester Park on February 4. Soon after, he was sent across…
Rasmussen to drive Self Assured in Auckland Cup
By Michael Guerin The sulky-go-round leading into Friday’s $400,000 Trillian Trust Auckland Cup has stopped with Natalie Rasmussen to now drive hot favourite Self Assured. And that puts the great race’s most successful ever driver Tony Herlihy on Spankem, the horse Rasmussen herself drove to finish second the last time the Cup was run. The Cup, Auckland harness racing’s biggest prize, will have its first May running this Friday as the final feature of a huge autumn after Harness Racing New Zealand radically altered the feature-race calendar. The change from…
Former halfback now racehorse owner and sponsor
By Dave Di Somma, Harness News Desk Some people are born into racing. Others, like former Crusaders and Hurricanes halfback Tyson Keats, marry into it. And for someone who says he “doesn’t know much” he’s now getting involved at various levels of the sport. After marrying the then Chelsea Jones, Keats found himself part of the extended Jones clan, one of racing’s most famous families. His in-laws are Derek and Adele Jones, who have recent success with the likes of open class trotter Majestic Lavros and Rangiora Winter Cup winner Kiss…
NZB weanling sale this Thursday
More than 100 weanlings, from established as well as emerging sires, will go under the hammer when the NZB Standardbred weanling sales are held at Karaka this Thursday, a day before the Auckland Cup meeting at Alexandra Park. Sixteen sires feature. In the pacing ranks Art Major, Sweet Lou and Downbytheseaside front up with the biggest numbers while super sire Bettor’s Delight will be represented by just two fillies, including Lot 52 who is a full sister to Spanish Armada. Buzz sire Always B Miki will have six lots, closely…