by Jonny TurnerSouthland’s biggest day of winter harness racing so far is looking Gray. Brett Gray lines up a powerful 12-horse team at Winton’s Winter Rewards Finals Day on Thursday. Beating her stablemates may prove to be the biggest challenge for Gray’s stable spearhead Haley Jaccka in the tightest assessed of three Winter Rewards Finals for pacers. The mare returned from a freshener with a bang, powering along the inner to win a hectic affair at Ascot Park ten days ago. And according to her trainer, she’s thrived since. “That…
Author: NZHarnessNews
Loteria looking to step forward in Cambridge debut
by Jordyn Bublitz Loteria is set to make her Cambridge Raceway debut tonight in what looks to be a perfect stepping stone for the mare as she continues her return to racing. The four-year-old daughter of Majestic Son, trained out of Clevedon by Sammy Kilgour, is a well-travelled campaigner. She began her career across the Tasman as a two-year-old in Australia before joining Sammy and her partner Josh Dickie on their move back to New Zealand. After a strong start to her racing career on kiwi soil, Sammy made the call…
Early favourites dominate futures markets for November features
The Tab recently opened some long term markets around feature races in November so here’s an early look forward with harness analyst Greg O’Connor. The three-year-old season has a predictable feel to it with last season’s 2yo’s of their respective season’s dominating the early bird markets. Marketplace is basically $1.40 in every major race he is likely to line up including the2nd running of the Velocity and of course the jewel in the 3yo year, the Garrards NZ Pacing Derby. His nearest rival and most likely to bridge the gap…
Gemma Thornley lands Addington double and closes in on major milestone
by Michael Guerin Gemma Thornley may find herself forced to make a tough decision if the second half of 2025 goes as well as she hopes. The 25-year-old was the punter’s princess at Addington on Sunday when she reined favourites Belmont Valor and Action Major to win consecutive races before her aunty Olivia Thornley won the very next race for an unusual family treble. It wasn’t Gemma’s first daily double and she even drove at treble at a deep south meeting a couple of years ago but she acknowledges the…
Barrier draws set the scene for Inter Dominion Grand Finals
by Adam Hamilton The first 200m will go a long way to deciding young Kiwi star Bet N Win’s winning chances next Saturday night’s $500,000 Inter Dominion trotting final. Bet N Win drew well in gate five and will move even closer into four if emergency Sir Fahrenheit doesn’t gain a start, but his main danger Arcee Phoenix drew even better in barrier one. All eyes will be on the start and whether trainer-driver Chris Svanosio can muster enough early speed on Arcee Phoenix to hold the lead. In contrast,…
Inter Dom night two wrap
By Adam Hamilton STACEY White just wants one more slice of good luck. White and husband, David, were all smiles after young trotting star Bet N Win made a clean sweep of the Inter Dominion heats, albeit in slightly different style last night. While the five-year-old led throughout on opening night, driver Bob Butt led again, but opted to take a sit on the talented but headstrong London To A Brick when challenged in the early stages. Bet N Win picked up well late in a sizzling last half to…
Stubing back on track
By Michael Guerin Stubing may have a way to go to pay back the patience trainer Trent Yesberg has shown in him but the Canterbury trainer thinks he is on the right track. The 34-year-old horseman take just two members of his 15-strong harness racing team to Addington on Sunday and thinks both can win. But in the case of Stubing even a third career victory will leave him a bit behind on the bills after a frustrating start to his career. “When he first started racing we really liked him…
Always B You shines again
By Michael Guerin John Dunn thinks his team have the ideal horse for a new series of mares races set for the second half of the season in Canterbury. Dunn suggests there will be a series of six mares races, usually run at two week intervals, in the region starting late August. “We have been told there will be six races, three of them worth $60,000 and going through until mid November,” says Dunn. “I think it is a great idea because it is important to give these good mares…
Thoroughbred and harness codes join forces for racing’s future
by Michael Guerin New Zealand’s two equine racing codes are set to join forces to plan for the future of the industry. The thoroughbred and harness racing codes were once considered staunch rivals because while there is plenty of cross over between owners, punters and even trainers in the two codes, they uses to compete for turnover. Those days are all but gone, with harness more or less a non factor on thoroughbred racing’s biggest days while both codes benefit from a stronger overall turnover at the TAB. At the…
Boss Jo impresses again in Cambridge Silk Road heat
by Jordyn Bublitz In-form trotting mare Boss Jo added another strong performance to her record at Cambridge Raceway last night, taking out the Gavelhouse.com Silk Rd Northern Trotting Mares Ht. 1 Mobile Trot. The six-year-old daughter of Sebastian K has now won two of her last four starts and continues to build on her consistent vein of form. Monika Ranger guided the mare to victory, settling patiently 5-back the pegs and moving forward as horses came off the fence in the final lap. Rounding the home bend the pair found their way…