Author: NZHarnessNews

by Jonny Turner Brad Williamson doesn’t want Aint No Angel to live up to her name in Friday’s last chance Southland Oaks qualifier. The three-year-old has already done that by making an early mistake in her debut at Addington. But the Oamaru filly redeemed herself in style when running a tough second, second up at Wyndham last week in another heat of the Southland Oaks series. From barrier 3 in Friday’s heat, Aint No Angel looks well placed to book her place in next week’s final on Diamonds Day. “We…

by Michael Guerin The team behind comeback trotter Eurokash expect good things from him this campaign but warn punters to be a little cautious at Addington tonight. The son of Love You won twice as a juvenile in 2020 and again at three that year, looking one of the more promising young trotters in the country. But after failing to return to his best form in autumn 2021, Eurokash was found to have a chip in a hind fetlock that required surgery and a long spell. He returns tonight in…

Harness racing has lost one of its greats with the passing of famed horseman Jim Dalgety. The 88-year-old passed away overnight on Wednesday at his home in Canterbury, where he had wanted to spend his final days. He leaves behind a huge legacy in the industry not only as the patriarch of a famous harness racing family through son Cran and grandson Carter but for what he achieved personally and those he passed his skills on to. A ruthlessly hard worker and deep thinker about the harness racing industry Jim…

NEW Zealanders are going to see a bit more of young-gun Aussie driver Cam Hart. With trainer Jason Grimson opting to keep Majestic Cruiser in NZ, he’s locked in Hart to come back over the next couple of weeks to stay aboard his stable star. Majestic Cruiser deservedly earned rave reviews for his monstrous second after coming very wide around the final bend behind Self Assured in last Thursday’s inaugural The Race at Cambridge. “I said when the horse came across for The Race that it was a deal breaker…

by Michael Guerin New Zealand’s greatest ever harness driver Tony Herlihy thought he was going to Alexandra Park this Friday without an open class drive yet has ended up on the best pacer in the country. Herlihy didn’t enter his stable star Bolt For Brilliance for the open mile trot at Alexandra Park’s huge meeting on Friday as he will keep him fresh for the National Trot next week and the major trotting races ahead next month culminating in the Rowe Cup. Remarkably since Herlihy is our most successful ever…

by Jonny Turner The impressive win of Maren Franco at Motukarara on Easter Monday put Sarah O’Reilly back on top of the national junior driver’s premiership. O’Reilly scored her first win in her uncle Leo’s colours when the progressive mare powered down the outside of the track to win race 6. The last time the junior driver drove for her uncle was on her first day of driving back in 2018. O’Reilly has gone on to produce outstanding results since and her drive behind Maren Franco was further proof. “She…

By Michael Guerin After a dazzling inaugural running of New Zealand’s first ever slot race the host club is eyeing adding another next season, this time for trotters. And the Waikato-Bay Of Plenty Harness Racing Club have the overwhelming support of trainers as they contemplate what could quickly become one of the most highly anticipated harness racing meetings of the year. Thursday’s first running of The Race by Grins for $900,000 was a huge success judged by any metric, with a good crowd, massive media coverage on both sides of…

HISTORIANS heads were sent spinning at Launceston last night. Trainer Emma Stewart and driver Mark Pitt both did what no other Australian trainer or driver has done before at the Group 1 Easter Cup meeting. They combined for a staggering nine winners on the 10-race card. They only contested nine races. In Stewart’s case, she and partner Clayton Tonkin went a step further by landing the quinella in the $100,000 Easter Cup with Longfellow beating Like A Wildfire. So, it was a perfect result for Stewart with nine wins and…

by Jonny Turner Gemma Thornley has the chance to keep her family’s name up in lights at Motukarara on Monday. Olivia and Sam Thornley have been kicking plenty of goals lately while Gemma has made a strong start to the season, as well. She takes the reins behind five runners on Easter Monday including Legenda Franco for her boss Steven McRae. The pacer steps out in the Up The Rabbitohs Pace, a race name dreamt up by die-hard South Sydney rugby league fan Ben Hope, who trains and drives one…

by Jonny Turner The Falcon did his New Zealand Cup prospects absolutely no harm when he flew along the inner to win the Listed Country Championship at Addington on Saturday night. The four-year-old outstayed his opposition in the 3200m feature, registering the biggest win yet Geoff and James Dunn’s father and son training partnership. The inaugural running of the Country Championship has been the focus for the Dunn camp with The Falcon which means they will now need to do some planning for the future. Though it was just win…