By Jonny Turner Sam’s Town booked his ticket into this week’s $100,000 Country Championship Final at Addington with a powerful front-running display in the Mount Harding Cup at Methven on Sunday. An outstanding beginning meant the six-year-old put a massive dent in the hopes of his rivals early in the 3000m staying feature before he completely eliminated them in the home straight courtesy of a great John Dunn drive. Sam’s Town will now be a part of a massive Robert and Jenna Dunn team that will head towards the $100,000…
Author: NZHarnessNews
“The Race” just days away
Welcome to “Race” week. And for those wanting to attend one of harness racing’s marquee events tickets are still available. On Thursday Cambridge Raceway will host the first ever running of New Zealand’s first ever slot race. The $900,00 The Race by Grins is New Zealand’s richest harness race and has brought together a field of 10 from both sides of the Tasman. Racegoers have a number of options. General admission is $25 and included is a $5 betting voucher, a can of Grins or non-alcoholic drink, a racebook and…
McIlwrick magic aids Peroni
By Jonny Turner Southland’s Mr Consistent looks to have sealed a shot at $100,000 with his late closing win in the Winton Cup. Some Rory McIlwrick magic helped extricate Peroni from a tricky spot before he held off a wall of finishers in an exciting home straight battle in the 2400m feature. Clinching a maximum 10 points took the Wayne Adams trained pacer to 23 points in the New Zealand Country Championship which culminates with a $100,000 final at Addington next weekend. That places Peroni in third position, just four…
Corravally Star heads Thornley’s book
By Jonny Turner Corravally Star can round out an epic country cups season with victory in the Mount Hutt Trotting Cup at Methven on Sunday. The Bruce Negus trained pacer goes into the 3000m grass track feature having started in eight previous qualifying events in the New Zealand Country Championship series. Currently ranked outside the top 16 spots to make the field for the $100,000 final at Addington, Corravally Star needs to win to maximise his hopes of a shot at that rich prize pool. Driver Sam Thornley thinks he…
Tough draw for Self Assured in The Race
By Michael Guerin Champion trainer Mark Purdon concedes favourite Self Assured is going to need to produce the performance of his career to win the $900,000 The Race by Grins at Cambridge on Thursday night. But he takes comfort in knowing the superstar pacer is in the right form to do just that. The long-time favourite drew the outside of the front line in New Zealand’s first ever major slot race to be run over 2200m mobile on Thursday. Purdon says that will mean pulling back, maybe all the way…
Career best three wins in 24 hours for Dr Chin
By Michael Guerin After the best day of his training career Luk Chin is considering a career change. “I might have to give up medicine and become a full time horse trainer,” joked Chin, or that should be Dr Chin, at Alexandra Park on Friday. Chin’s inspiration for the career change, from anaesthetist to full-time horse trainer, came when Safrakova won on Friday night, giving him his third win in 24 hours after Voronov and Alana won on his home track of Cambridge on Thursday. Of course it is a…
Sundees Son coming for the Master’s crown
By Joshua Smith, Harness News Desk Robert Dunn has long held Master Musician as the best horse he has trained, his email address even bears the pacers name, but his near 30-year reign in that pinnacle spot could be coming to an end. Sundees Son is quickly coming after that crown and inched closer at Addington Raceway on Friday when taking out the Gr.1 Fred Shaw Memorial NZ Trotting Championship (2600m). It was the ninth Group One victory for the seven-year-old gelding and he once again stamped himself as the…
Darling Me set to sizzle again
By Jonny Turner After lighting up Southland last month, Darling Me returns on Saturday with the Southern Belle Speed Series Final in her sights. The Steve and Amanda Telfer trained mare heads south after blitzing her opposition in a sensational 1.51.8 mile time in a heat of the series when was last seen south of the Waitaki. That effort, before running second to Heza Sport on a premier night at Addington, came from s tough draw in barrier 9. Driver Tim Williams is looking forward to the mare being handed…
Big raps on Fernleigh Cash back at Alexandra Park
By Michael Guerin He may be anything but the finished product right-handed but Fernleigh Cash should still get away with it and win at Alexandra Park tonight. That is the opinion of co-trainer Steve Telfer as the big pacer returns to Alexandra Park for the first time since his debut in September in race two tonight. Fernleigh Cash has opened a $1.40 fixed odds favourite for what is not an imposing R41-51 over 2200m, his price indicative of the big reputation he has always had. He won his debut on…
Start critical in big trot at Addington tonight
By Michael Guerin Champion horseman Tony Herlihy admits he has no idea which version of Bolt For Brilliance will turn up in the seconds before the start of tonight’s $100,000 Group 1 trot at Addington. And that mystery could be the key to the race. Bolt For Brillance and trotting’s other heir apparent Muscle Mountain get another crack at the king Sundees Son in the NZ Trotting Championships and even though Sundees Son became a millionaire two starts ago he shows little interest in abdicating his throne. Drawn barrier one…