By Michael Guerin Alexandra Park are taking immediate measures to boost field sizes during April. The Auckland Trotting Club has been disappointed, and like many, slightly perplexed by the recent struggles to get larger fields and only attracted enough horses for six races at tonight’s meeting. It constantly attracts less horses than Cambridge meetings which race for lesser stakes, with one possible factor the fear of horses not being able to win at Alexandra Park, which considering the struggles for numbers at the Auckland track seems largely unfounded. But the…
Author: NZHarnessNews
Bond continues outstanding start to 2022
By Jonny Turner Two out of three ain’t bad according to the late singer Meat Loaf, as well as the man known as Bondy in harness racing circles. Lyndon ‘Bondy’ Bond took three horses to Winton yesterday and produced a race-to-race winning double with Fast Whispering and Step It Up A Notch. Bond was one of three trainers to double up on an 11 race card with Kirstin Barclay and Amber Hoffman also producing two wins each. In Bond’s case, the trainer quickly turned around disappointing performances by his two…
Evergreen trotter belying his age
By Joshua Smith, Harness News Desk Evergreen trotter Bro Fawkes S is continuing to belie his age. The 11-year-old trotter will have his 101st start for trainer Ray Darby in the Lone Star Alexandra Park Handicap Trot (2700m) on Friday and the South Auckland horseman doesn’t believe he is done with winning yet. The son of Armbro Invasion has pleased in his last two outings, winning and placing at Alexandra Park, and Darby is hoping for a similar result this week. “I thought he might come on a bit better…
Big guns to do battle at Addington tonight
By Michael Guerin The only real Achilles heel champion trotter Sundees Son has could be targeted by his own stablemate Mataderos at Addington tonight. And driver John Dunn admits he doesn’t know whether the new millionaire of trotting can justify his hot favouritism in the $30,000 Lamb And Hayward Trotters Classic, the next chapter in what is shaping as a vintage autumn of trotting. Sundees Son is clearly the best trotter in Australasia and basically unbeatable when in front, with his stamina enabling him to trot times that exhaust the…
Breaks must go Playboy’s way
By Jonny Turner Nathan Williamson thinks he has found the perfect lead up for The Race for Pembrook Playboy. But it won’t be straight forward. The star southern, racing in Dunstan Horse Feeds’ slot in Australasia’s inaugural harness racing slot race at Cambridge this month, starts from barrier one on the second row in Group Three free-for-all company at Addington on Friday night. Even New Zealand’s worst punter should know that barrier draw isn’t ideal as far as the horse’s winning chances go. Clearly he is going to need a…
Donnelly trio ready for Canterbury raid
By Joshua Smith, Harness News Desk Rough And Ready secured his place in the $100,000 Country Cups Final with a gutsy win in the City Of Palmerston North Festival Cup (2500m) at Manawatu Raceway on Thursday. The five-year-old gelding was headed down the home straight by stablemate Bad Medicine, but he showed his tenacity to fight back to claim a head victory and bragging rights over his barn mate. The result gave trainer Arna Donnelly a boost of confidence with the pair as they continue their way south to contest…
Matty has key book of drives
By Jonny Turner The man with the golden cap has a golden book of drives at Winton on Thursday. Matthew Williamson combines with plenty of the horsepower on an 11 race card, including two of the three runners starting from his own stable. Among them is last season’s smart two-year-old Minnie McGoogan who returns for her first start of the year. The three-year-old chased home higher graded trotters in a recent trial at Oamaru and her progress since then has Williamson confident ahead of her return in race 6. “Minnie…
Thee Old Bomb on song for Manawatu
By Joshua Smith, Harness News Desk Waikato horseman Matthew White is hoping Thee Old Bomb can make it back-to-back wins in the City Of Palmerston North Festival Cup (2500m) at Manawatu Raceway on Thursday. The four-year-old gelding was rewarded for his consistency with victory at Alexandra Park earlier this month, having placed in five of his previous seven starts. However, he didn’t come out of the run unscathed, having to be treated by a veterinarian following the race for a small wound the near fore fetlock. White said the son…
Trial for The Race contenders confirmed for Friday
A trial will be held on Friday night after what was to have been the final lead-up to The Race was canned at Alexandra Park. Purdon and training partner Hayden Cullen were hoping to start Self Assured, Spankem and Mach Dan in the proposed open class pace but when the only other entry was Hot And Treacherous the race was scrapped. Purdon was disappointed by the decision, believing a one-off exception should have been made to let Friday’s race be run even it it only had four starters because of…
So far so good for Enghien
Comeback trotter Enghien has passed another important test. The Love You eight-year-old has finished third in his trial at Rangiora on Wednesday for driver Ricky May. Starting off 30 metres he finished two lengths from fellow back-marker Majestic Lavros and Eurokash. “We went super,” says co-trainer and co-owner Greg Hope, “Ricky said he wanted to win and had to hold him back” A 15 race winner from just 29 starts, Enghien has not raced for nearly two and a half years. He’s been sidelined with a leg injury ever since,…