By Joshua Smith, Harness News Desk It was a night of celebration for Shane Butcher at Cambridge Raceway on Wednesday. The South Auckland horseman recorded his first New Zealand training success courtesy of Sharkine in the Team Teal Fundraiser 10 March At CR Mobile Pace (2200m). While pleased to get the win, Butcher was more animated for his partner Monika Ranger who reined home the mare, posting her second driving success. “When I was in Perth, I trained a winner over there, but it was pretty good to get a…
Author: NZHarnessNews
Club News : Winton
Twilight racing is back again this week when the Riverton Trotting Club host an impressive twelve race card at Central Southland Raceway in Winton this Friday, 4 March. The first race is scheduled to start at 1.47pm with the last at 7.29pm. It is another perfect opportunity to leave work a little early on a Friday afternoon and enjoy a twilight evening whilst enjoying harness racing trackside. Feature races include a heat of the Alabar Southern Supremacy Stakes for a stake of $15,000, the Diamond Creek Farm 3 Diamonds Series…
Tactics key for Cox from tricky draws
By Jonny Turner Jonny Cox doesn’t have the best draws to work with at Addington on Thursday night, but he will have the right kind of horsepower in front of him. Cox puts the All Stars colours on in two races on the nine-race card to combine with Riveered and Samhara. Riveered has a workable alley in race 2, starting from barrier 2 on the second line behind another leading hope in Steph’s Boy. Riveered returned to racing with a fourth placing at Addington last month after a freshen up…
Déjà vu for star triallist
by Dave Di Somma, Harness News Desk Canterbury trainer Chris McDowell reckons he’s been here before. Yesterday Judgement Bay, a five-year-old mare he trains and co-owns, was a real head-turner at the Ashburton trials, winning by more than five lengths, and cutting out the last 800 in a sizzling 55.7. Among her rivals were the well-performed All Stars duo of Shan Noble and Willow Bay. Her time for the 2400m metre mobile was 3:00.6. “She trialled up very good,” says McDowell, who trains a team of 12 at Weedons just…
News Briefs – March 2
Vale Neville McNee and Charles Thorby Harness Racing New Zealand sends its condolences to the families of two long-standing and respected members of our sport, Neville McNee and Charles Thorby, who have both died in recent days. Known as a friendly engaging character, McNee (above) was a former Oamaru Trotting Club president and life member. He was associated with a number of good horses, including Grenfell Robyn (nine wins) and Wood Chip (6 wins). He was aged 85. And Charles Falo Thorby (above) passed away peacefully in Middlemore Hospital aged…
Foal Registration Reminder
Application forms to register this season’s foals were posted out last November to the person who according to our records is the first named owner or lessee of any mare for which there is a 2020/2021 service record. Application forms to register this season’s foals were posted out last November to the person who according to our records is the first named owner or lessee of any mare for which there is a 2020/2021 service record. If you have not received an application form and believe you should have, please…
The Box Seat – March 2
Greg O’Connor and Michael Guerin join us for this week’s edition of the Box Seat.
Enigmatic trotter a family affair
By Joshua Smith, Harness News Desk Susan Branch never wanted to train Sly Punter, but he has proven to give her family plenty of excitement over the last few months. After failing to sell on standardbred.gavelhouse.com last year her son, Cambridge Raceway chief executive Dave Branch, organised to lease the gelding with a few family members. “I was horrified, he was the last horse I wanted because I had seen him go every start because my sister’s husband owned him and Todd (Mitchell) trained him and he wasn’t a nice…
Bondi sizzling ahead of Miracle Mile
By Michael Guerin A record-breaking trackwork session has helped Victorian horseman Aaron Dunn overcome his Miracle Mile barrier draw hangover. Because it has convinced him his exceptional pacer Bondi Lockdown is in the perfect form for Saturday night’s A$1million Miracle Mile at Menangle, even if he has a less than perfect draw. Dunn was left groaning even before he drew barrier nine, to start from seven after emergencies come out of the Mile, because the two other favourites King Of Swing (1) and Spirit Of St Louis (2) drew perfectly.…
Addington Weekly : March 1
Here’s Greg O’Connor and Darrin Williams with the Addington News – March 1 .