Category: Meeting Previews

By Jordyn Bublitz  It was a milestone night at Cambridge Raceway on Thursday, as one of harness racing’s most respected participants Luk Chin notched up his 200th training victory, and in true Luk Chin fashion, he did it with a horse he bred, trains, and drove himself. The memorable win came in the Garrards Horse And Hound Handicap Trot with Voronov, who exploded off the front line like a bullet and quickly took control of the race. From there, Chin dictated the tempo perfectly, fending off the late challengers to…

By Jonny Turner  It didn’t quite go to plan, but punters got it right when backing Matthew Williamson to win his first Group race as a trainer at Ascot Park yesterday. A brilliant beginner starting from the front line, Princess Sadie was meant to lead and win the Group 3 The Dark Horse, judging by the way her win dividend crunched in. And despite having to regather after making a flyer in what was a false start to the mares’ feature, everything went to plan initially. But at the 400m…

By Michael Guerin Three favourites, three different states of readiness. That sums up the powerful Barry Purdon/Scott Phelan assault on Addington tonight as the open class pacing season steps up a gear in the $60,000 Lamb and Hayward Canterbury Classic (9.35pm). The stable have their elite pacers Merlin and Sooner The Bettor in the capacity field, up against Republican Party, We Walk By Faith and Alta Meteor, so basically all the local New Zealand Cup-winning chances aside from Akuta, who is sidelined this week. The northern stable also have our…

By Michael Guerin Patience rather than panic is the key to finally getting the best out of frustrating trotter Pantani. The four-year-old heads to Alexandra Park tonight for Race 2, the Garrards Pesticides Northern Metro Trotters Heat (6.19pm) that he would almost certainly win if he raced up to his best form. He did that for the first time in a year four starts ago and thrashed a similar field by 10-and-a-half lengths at The Park but he has galloped in all three starts since. Trainer-driver David Butcher says Pantani…

By Jordyn Bublitz It’s shaping up to be a big night at Cambridge Raceway for up and coming northern junior driver Jacob Dunn, who lines up behind three promising runners. Each of the trio looks a genuine shot at the winner’s circle, starting with Kiss And Run for Cambridge locals Dylan and Jo Ferguson. The five-year-old mare fronts up in the Garrards Horse And Hound Handicap Trot (6.20pm) after a solid fourth at Alexandra Park last week, following a brief freshen-up. That run came in much stronger company, and Dunn…

By Jonny Turner The racebook may read the same, but Tom Bagrie is sure he is returning with a better horse for the second running of the Group 3 The Dark Horse at Invercargill today. With the Southern Trotting Oaks already on her résumé, Walkinonsunshine heads south in the hope she can bag another Ascot Park trotting feature. The four-year-old’s first attempt at the newly minted mares’ event was something of a non-event when she settled last in a leader-dominated affair. Walkinonsunshine not only returns a little bit older for…

Check out this week’s The Box Seat with hosts Matt Cross, Brittany Graham and Greg O’Connor.