Category: Harness

Minstrel rockets into favouritism for $1.25m Nullabor

NZHarnessNews

By Adam Hamilton  Successful Kiwi horseman David Butt is grateful for the day five years ago when Minstrel failed a vet test. Leading Western Australian trainers Greg and Skye Bond had landed on a deal to buy the then emerging three-year-old and the last box to tick was a vet check. “He’d just run third in the Flying Stakes, the last lead-up for the NZ Derby, and the offer was a good one,” Butt recalled. “He was as good as sold, but failed the vet when they found he had…

Aussies adding intrigue at Alexandra Park

NZHarnessNews

Presenter-driver-trainer Brittany Graham knows a thing or two about racing on both sides of the Tasman and now that the Queenslander is working for Trackside in this country she’s (reluctantly) agreed to write a weekly column on anything she thinks is relevant, topical or even fun. The Aussie unknowns this Friday at Alexandra Park By Brittany Graham While the Australian flavour in the north has been strong for the last month, there is added intrigue in Friday night’s Alexandra Park premier race card.  It comes in the form of a…

News Briefs : April 23

NZHarnessNews

A slightly-delayed return for Keayang Zahara, changes to syndicates and stakes payments, and a Derby champion still winning seven years later all feature in this week’s News Briefs. Skin issue delays trotter’s return Boom Australian trotting mare Keayang Zahara’s racetrack return has been delayed by at least a week. But driver Jason Lee says the four-year-old, who created such a stir with three dominant Addington wins late last year, remained on target for the $100,000 Group 1 Macarthur Mile at Menangle on May 10.“She’s had a bit of a skin…

Reminder : 2025 NZB Yearling Sales – Transfers of Ownership

NZHarnessNews

This is a reminder that even if you haven’t finalised the ownership for the yearling purchased at the NZB Standardbred National Yearling Sales earlier this year, you are still required to submit a transfer of ownership by Friday, May 2, 2025.  The transfer document will have been sent to you by NZ Bloodstock, providing the horse has been paid for in full. This initial transfer is FREE, however if a subsequent transfer is required after this date, the normal $85 fee will apply. If the ownership is still to be…

Lord Fantasy has second win for Steve Allen

NZHarnessNews

By Mike Love  It was appropriate that Lord Fantasy gave Oamaru trainer Steve Allen a win in yesterday’s Gavelhouse.com mobile pace.  Because that’s exactly where he acquired the horse in the first place. “I bought him off Gavelhouse. Paul Kerr trained him. He said he just needed time. When he won at Oamaru he called me and said it’s great you’ve got him going,” said Allen.   That first win was on debut in December 2023. Yesterday’s success was the Betting Line five-year-old’s second in 22 race day starts. It…

The Northern Derby – 75 years ago

NZHarnessNews

This week’s Group 1-laden Friday night at Alexandra Park will be headlined by the $200,000 Woodlands Stud Northern Derby. So why not look back at one of the great champions to have won the race – 75 years ago. Johnny Globe’s Derby win – “he gave nothing else a look-in” By Dave Di Somma, Harness News Desk Among the many champions that have won the Northern Derby since it was first run in 1916  – the likes of  Indianapolis, Courage Under Fire and Lazarus – Johnny Globe’s must have been…

Rogerson barn with three each-way chances at Cambridge tonight

NZHarnessNews

By Brigette Solomon The Graeme Rogerson stable has three runners at tonight’s meeting at Cambridge Raceway that stable foreman and driver James Stormont all considers good each way chances. First up for the stable is the first starter Big Wheels who contests the MVS Equine Hospital Mobile Pace over 2200 metres. The three-year-old gelding is a full brother to the 9-race winner Chimichurri and he starts tonight’s race from barrier 10. Big Wheels has had two educational workouts in preparation for his debut and in his most recent he finished…

Marketplace beaten in big upset at Alexandra Park

NZHarnessNews

By Michael Guerin Got The Chocolates joined the rarest of racing clubs at Alexandra Park on Saturday night: horses who won a race they were scratched from. And he beat the budding superstar of New Zealand pacing in Marketplace to do it. The three-year-old pacer was enormous in the Woodlands Stud Northern Derby Prelude at Alexandra Park on Saturday night, sitting parked before holding out the red hot favourite in Marketplace, courtesy of a blazing 26 second last 400m. The irony for punters is Got The Chocolates, who was originally…

Swift Dream looking to continue good form

NZHarnessNews

By Mike Love  South Canterbury trainer Noel Taylor is cautious about the chances of Swift Dream ($5.00FF) in Race 11, the Sheree Tomlinson and Matt Cross Trot at Monday’s Banks Peninsula meeting at Addington Raceway.  Although the nine-year-old Superfast Stuart gelding has been trotting in a fine vein of form lately winning two of his last three starts, three of four of Swift Dream’s wins have come on grass. The 12-race programme starts at 11.15am at Addington after being transferred from Motukarara because of bad weather over the past few…