By Mike Love Stonewall Stud have two good chances in Sunday’s Group 3 Alabar Methven Cup over 3000m for $40,000 as the road to the Go Media New Zealand Trotting Cup continues. While Bar Louie and J T Boe each hold a nomination for the New Zealand Cup, they are ranked 24th and 26th respectively, and will be looking to improve their rankings with big runs in Methven’s feature. And that is exactly what co-trainer Amanda Telfer is expecting from the pair. “I’m really happy with both of them,” commented…
Category: Harness
Purdon/Phelan team with plenty of firepower in Alexandra Park features tonight
By Michael Guerin The North Island’s most powerful open class stable could win both major races at Alexandra Park tonight but they not quite sure who with. Barry Purdon and Scott Phelan have the first three favourites in the Matamata Vets Holmes DG (8.24pm), the main pace tonight and two of the three top elects in the open trot and training great Purdon says he is happy with all five. But while he suggests Merlin (R7, No.7) in the Holmes DG and Higher Power (R6, No.5) are their two most…
The battle of the 2YO Fillies at Addington
By Dave Di Somma, Harness News Desk For Bronson Munro Friday’s Dunstan Sires’ Stakes 2YO Fillies Series (Heat 3) at Addington is a real head-scratcher. The on-farm trainer at Robert Famularo’s Dancingonmoonlight stables, Munro will line up three fillies in the $30,000 Heat – Eternal Perfection, Jorja and Validation. All three are fresh up this campaign. “I’ve never had three to the races before let alone three in the one race,” he laughs. The trio finished first, second and third at the Rangiora trials on September 24. Eternal Perfection, who…
Secret Agent Man returns to Gore today after lengthy absence
By Jonny Turner The atmosphere might not be as intense but the tactical battle could be when Secret Agent Man returns to racing at Gore on Thursday. The pacer was a strong performer at last year’s New Zealand Cup Carnival, backing up a nice Ashburton victory with two solid fourths during Cup Week itself. Injury following the latest of those efforts in the South of the Waitaki event has meant the Nathan Williamson trained pacer hasn’t been seen at the races since. While the trainer-driver is confident his pacer can…
Substitute “the best of the night” for Emily Johnson at Cambridge tonight
By Jordyn Bublitz Emily Johnson heads to Cambridge Raceway tonight with three drives across the six-race programme, and each comes with a little bit of intrigue. Her night begins aboard The Miki Taker for employer Sean McCaffrey in Race 1, the Skyline Lounge Open All Race Nights Junior Drivers Mob Pace. Johnson partnered the gelding to victory at Cambridge last week, a performance that caught even her by surprise. “I didn’t expect that performance from him last start at all. I was quite shocked with him really, so safe to…
Rubira heading to Sunday’s Methven Cup
By Michael Guerin Rubira may be missing from round two of the northern open class pacing spring at Alexandra Park this Friday but that doesn’t mean he gets the weekend off. Because trainer Nathan Purdon has decided Sunday’s Methven Cup will give him a better guide of where the four-year-old sits in the pacing pecking order. Rubira was well-backed when he resumed in the Summer Cup two weeks ago but finished second last of the six starters so won’t back up in Friday night’s Matamata Vet Services Pukekohe Holmes D…
Green takes team to Gore on Sunday
By Jonny Turner Though the weather is painting a different picture, her firepower tells Kirstin Green it’s springtime. Amid challenging conditions for training horses, the time has come for the trainer-driver to wheel out some of her spring talent for the first runs of their campaign. Green had Just Like Jagger and Fiery Bandito at Addington on Friday night, while her stakes-race-winning trotter Mor Moonlight will be back in action at Gore on Sunday. Stable junior driver Olivia Thomas will be out to chase down her first win in the…
Tact Teva hard to roll in Timaru Cup
By Mike Love Tact Teva headlines Steve and Amanda Telfer’s team heading to Timaru on Sunday. Stonewall Stud line up three runners at the back end of the programme, with all three looking like strong winning chances. Co-trainer Amanda Telfer suggests their best chance will be Tact Teva ($2.40FF) in the day’s feature, Race 7, the Tyre General Washdyke Timaru Spring Cup (Handicap Pace) (3.35pm), over 2600m for $15,000. Tact Teva has not raced since finishing fifth in the National behind Bettors Anvil, where he missed away at the start,…
Waves vs Ripples at Alexandra Park tonight
By Michael Guerin Trainer Steve Telfer says Ride The Waves is ready to take charge of her own destiny at Alexandra Park tonight. And she might have to if she is to fend off the trans-Tasman challenge of Queensland Oaks winner Ripples, who is a shock entry tonight for the Auckland meeting. The pair clash in a stacked Nevele R heat for the three-year-old pacing fillies (8.39pm) and while they were close in the TAB opening markets they have vastly different experience levels. Ripples may only be a second-season filly…
Stars return in bumper night at Addington
By Michael Guerin A not-so-private workout last Saturday is one of the reasons Jumal has been smashed in the betting for his comeback race at Addington tonight. But the Derby winner is just one of the giants of harness racing returning as some of the biggest names in the code start their spring campaigns in a sizzling hour tonight. Horse of the Year Republican Party starts his New Zealand Cup campaign up against one of his heir apparents in Marketplace in the Chairmans Handicap, with the D G Jones Banks…