Category: Meeting Previews

The inaugural HRNZ and ESNZ Standardbred Competition recognises and rewards the achievements of Standardbred horses competing in ESNZ disciplines. If you rode a Standardbred registered with ESNZ in competitions between 1 August 2024 and 31 May 2025 this is your opportunity to submit your season’s results and be in the running for the HRNZ & ESNZ Standardbred Competition. Results can be from Dressage, Show Jumping, Eventing, Competitive Trail Riding, or Para Equestrian or a combination. Points are allocated to the horse, not the rider. Prizes:1st – $500 | 2nd –…

By Michael Guerin Steve Telfer knows one of the hottest runs in New Zealand racing history has to end soon. But that may not be tonight. Telfer and his sister Amanda trained a staggering 18 winners harness racing winners in a 10-day space up to last Sunday, more winners than a lot of successful stables train in an entire season. It is possible an equine stable has put up similar numbers before, maybe on a circuit dominated by one trainer, but good luck trying to find it. The blitz saw…

By Jonny Turner Rival camps have plenty to worry about ahead of The Lazarus Effect putting his unbeaten record on the line at Addington on Friday night. On exposed form, the pacer looks incredibly hard to beat in his attempt to make it four-from-four for trainer-driver Bob Butt in Race 1, the TAB 2nd and 3rd Bonus Cash Back Mobile Pace (5.05pm). He’s a $1.35 favourite.  The Lazarus Effect was explosive in his return to racing at Winton late last month, charging to an easy victory in slick time against…

By Jordyn Bublitz  A move to the North Island for former southerner Jacob Dunn wasn’t originally the plan. The first year junior driver, and the older of John and Jenna Dunn’s two children, made the trip from Canterbury to help tend to a busy team at Robert and Jenna Dunn’s Pukekohe barn before deciding to make the move permanent. “I got a good opportunity to get a few drives so that was the main reason for the move,” Dunn said. “I’ve been up here since the start of March when…

By Adam Hamilton  New Zealand’s hopes of winning next month’s Inter Dominion trotting series in Brisbane have soared with two star Aussies set to miss the series. Boom four-year-old mare Keayang Zahara, who is well known to Kiwis, and the gifted Susan Is Her Name both won’t be at Albion Park.  Susan Is Her Name, who ended Keayang Zahara’s 15-race winning streak at Menangle last month, has been sidelined with a leg injury while Keayang Zahara’s connections haven’t made a final call, co-trainer Paddy Lee today said he “presumed she…

The TAB advises that markets for this week’s harness racing meetings around the country will be out slightly later than usual  due to King’s Birthday weekend. Most fields won’t be out till later, with the odds for Cambridge’s Thursday meeting released tomorrow (Wednesday) at midday. The markets for Friday’s double-header at Addington and Auckland will be available from 9am Thursday  with Addington’s Sunday markets due out at 6pm on Thursday. For more information contact matthew.peden@hrnz.co.nz

By Adam Hamilton  New Zealand fans should be excited about Leap To Fame’s surprise next assignment at Albion Park on Saturday night. Trainer-driver Grant Dixon turned heads when he opted to run his champion pacer from a 30m handicap in a standing-start 2138m race this week. He admitted a longer term vision for November’s IRT NZ Trotting Cup was part of the reason for it. It will be just the second time in Leap To Fame’s 65-start career he has raced from a stand. The other was a win from…