By Adam Hamilton The second coming of South Coast Arden couldn’t have started any better. The former Kiwi star made it two wins from as many starts for NSW trainer Paul Fitzpatrick when he scored narrowly but impressively at Menangle last night. And he smashed the clock with a 1min49.1sec mile. In a spirited affair, South Coast Arden did what few can do at Menangle by sustaining a big run around the field to beat some serious opposition. He was helped by a scorching 53.3sec opening half set-up when Abouttime…
Category: Harness
Purvis shooting for Group race glory
by Mike Love, Harness News Desk The two-year-old colts and geldings are set to battle at Ashburton today in the 104th running of the Group 2 Sapling Stakes, for $45,000. Fixed odds favourite, the Mark and Nathan Purdon trained Bronson ($2.70FF) will be looking to turn the tables on the Katie Cox trained second favourite, and Welcome Stakes winner, It’s Tough ($2.80FF). However, the sleeper and 3rd favourite in the field A Little Silence ($5.00FF) may have his connections making the most noise when he lines up for Woodend Beach…
Browns’ golden run continues
By Michael Guerin Waikato trainer Peter Brown could barely have had a better month and not just because he is now the country’s leading strike rate trainer. If you don’t know Brown he has been knocking around the northern harness racing scene for years, never over playing his hand, a happy, respected guy. “The horses are just a hobby for Ros (wife) and I and we have waited a long time to have a couple of good ones,” explains Brown. What Brown should have said was the harness horses are…
Fernetti’s debut win has them roaring at Addington
By Jonny Turner First time harness racing owners and their mates nearly lifted the roof off the Addington stand as they roared home Fernetti on Thursday night. Carter Dalgety syndicated the three-year-old among five of his friends and three of his family members, but there were many more on track to cheer the three-year-old home in his debut win. Not even the reinsman could escape their outstanding enthusiasm as their roars were heard when he passed the post. “After we passed the post I heard this huge roar, it was…
Salvo upsets at massive odds at Addington
By Dave Di Somma, Harness News Desk Jack Harrington had every reason to be beaming after reining home Salvo at Addington last night. It was his first win in the sulky in more than two years, and the four-year-old mare that he trains had just won by a neck, paying $104 for the win. It was Salvo’s fourth career victory from 44 starts. “The 12 months have been a bit of a nightmare with her, she’s had a lot of seasonal complaints, she’s very hormonal and that’s been affecting her…
Smokin Bandar books Aussie trip with impressive win
By Jonny Turner Max Hill notched his first win at Addington in style with his calm and collected steer behind Smokin Bandar. Hill was tasked with giving the trotter a vital hit-out which would a deciding factor in whether the grey trotter headed across the Tasman to the Brisbane Winter Carnival. It was mission complete for both Hill and Smokin Bandar when they cleared out from the field in race 5. And in the process the junior driver enjoyed one of the thrills of his career. “He would have to…
Fernleigh Cash is back, with big targets ahead
By Michael Guerin A winter night at Cambridge is rarely the first stepping stone to a New Zealand Cup start but one of the best trainers in the country thinks that unlikely journey could begin tonight. Premiership winner Steve Telfer is sure Fernleigh Cash has what it takes to get to open class, maybe even the great race at Addington in November, and says if not for injury the big gelding wouldn’t even be at Cambridge tonight. Fernleigh Cash has won five of his 13 starts and was a head…
Whispering Artist impresses with four in a row
By Michael Guerin New Zealand’s most surprising mare may be running out of ways to keep surprising us. Whispering Artist was a huge mover up the pacing ranks over the autumn, winning four races on end culminating in the Powell Transport Northern Breeders Stakes at Alexandra Park last Friday. In doing so she beat a genuine Group 1 mare in Manhattan not once but twice in seven days and while the first of those wins came courtesy of a good draw, last week Whispering Artist had to show gate speed…
Spirit Of St Louis is back to take on top class field
By Adam Hamilton Young gun driver Jack Callaghan can’t wait to reunite with star pacer Spirit Of St Louis at Menangle on Saturday night. The pair has been a huge force on the Grand Circuit for the past 18 months and are aiming at a string of majors again through the back half of this year. And Callaghan has his heart set on winning one of them, as much for Spirit Of St Louis as himself. “He just deserves to grab one of the really big ones,” he said. “He’s…
The Box Seat – May 31
This week’s Box Seat with hosts Greg O’Connor and Michael Guerin.