By Jonny Turner Craig Ferguson was taking none of the credit after his perfectly judged front-running drive helped Shepherd’s Delight win yesterday’s Otautau Four Square Wairio Cup. The pacer was in front from the second the standing start tapes were released in the Winton feature, with Ferguson judging the pace to perfection behind the Ivan Court trained five-year-old. Though he clearly got his mid-race calculations spot on, Ferguson was quick to hand the credit for the win to Court. The Canterbury trainer is known for producing brilliant standing start horses,…
Author: NZHarnessNews
Team Purdon excel on Cranbourne’s big night
By Adam Hamilton It’s been a fantastic Cranbourne Cup meeting in Victoria for Mark and Nathan Purdon. Last night Don’t Stop Dreaming built on a luckless but good Hunter Cup run to finish a tremendous second to Leap To Fame in the $100,000 Group 2 Cranbourne Cup while Oscar Bonavena made a lie of his Great Southern Star final flop with a stunning Group 1 win in the $60,000 Bruce Skeggs Trotters’ Cup. Don’t Stop Dreaming’s effort to settle near last and circle the field to sit parked was up…
Wild Willow heavily favoured in Hororata Cup
By Mike Love Wild Willow will run a short priced favourite ($2.45 FF) in today’s Garrards Horse and Hound Hororata Cup over 3000m at Methven. The five-year-old Art Major gelding has won five from 10 starts in his career to date and Rakaia trainer Warren Stapleton believes he will be hard to beat again. “If he goes anywhere near as good as he did on the second day at Blenheim, after doing all of that work early, he’s got to be hard to beat,” said Stapleton. “He’s a big strong…
Built For Glory the one to beat in Wairio Cup
By Jonny Turner Built For Glory will return to his happy place on Sunday to chase down an Otautau Four Square Wairio Cup victory. The four-year-old comes into the Winton feature unbeaten south of the Waitaki River, with five starts for five wins to his name. While there is no doubting the Steve and Amanda Telfer trained pacer’s class as he prepares for another Southland raid, there are doubts over his standing start manners. Built For Glory has faced the standing start tapes once in his short career, missing away…
Next Gen – the countdown is on
It’s only a week to the NZB Standardbred Yearling Sales and HRNZ is here to answer any of your queries. The Sales will kick off at Karaka in Auckland on Saturday, February 15 and then move to Christchurch for a day’s selling on Tuesday, February 18. In all there will be around 340 yearlings up for sale, including 70 from Next Gen sires. The Next Gen – Own The Thrill concept is brand new in 2025. Complete with $600,000 in bonuses, it is a new ownership model devised by HRNZ…
Strangles Cases Detected: Important Information for Horse Owners
Horse owners are urged to stay alert following the recent detection of Strangles cases in the South Island. While these cases are not linked to the racing community, Strangles is a highly contagious bacterial disease, and vigilance is key to protecting equine health. We encourage all horse owners to take proactive biosecurity measures, monitor their horses for any signs of illness, and follow best practices to prevent the spread of infection. Early detection and responsible management are crucial in keeping our equine communities safe. What is Strangles? Strangles is a…
Butcher heading to trials as recovery continues
By Dave Di Somma, Harness News Desk Cambridge-based trainer-driver Benjamin Butcher will take the next step in his recovery with a drive at the trials next week. The 29-year-old has not driven in a competitive race since a crash at Alexandra Park last August when he broke his shoulder and suffered a serious concussion. “I’ve had a lot of advice about head injuries and I am certainly not rushing anything,” says Butcher. “I’ll go the trials next week and then see how I’m feeling after that.” At one stage the…
High Step wins again for Bob Butt
By Mike Love The beach appears to be agreeing with well-bred trotter High Step. Yesterday the four-year-old mare recorded her second win in five starts for Woodend trainer Bob Butt when she won the G.K. Fyfe Painting “Making It Happen” Handicap Trot at Rangiora. Previously with Mark and Nathan Purdon, High Step was sent out to Butt during the spring to rejuvenate on the beach. Since winning first up at Kaikoura back on November 4, the daughter of Father Patrick raced okay during cup week, including a seventh in the…
New lights to shine at Addington tonight
Addington Raceway is set to shine even brighter as racing under new track lighting begins tonight. The New Zealand Metropolitan Trotting Club (NZMTC) has been working closely with Signify, a world leader in lighting, to ensure the upgrade to the track lighting is world class, and meets the highest standards of safety for horses and all participants. To see Addington’s media release click here
Lakelsa looking for “new peak” in tonight’s Group 1
It’s the end of another week and that means Friday Night Lights at Addington and Auckland. Both venues will feature eight races starting at 5.35pm and 5.43pm with Lakelsa chasing Group 1 glory at Addington and Nathan Delany hoping to celebrate his 25th birthday in style at Alexandra Park. Lakelsa’s big Group 1 test at Addington By Michael Guerin If Lakelsa wants to become a Group 1 winner at Addington tonight she is going to have to keep improving. The good news for trainer Regan Todd is he thinks…