By Jonny Turner The business is done at home and now the attention turns to Addington. Brett Gray and Nathan Williamson were both in winning form at Wyndham on Thursday, pairing up to deliver Party Up Denario a deserved win. Now both trainers head to Addington on Friday night, taking up a powerful Southland squad between them. Gray starts the unbeaten Miki’s Deal in Caduceus Club Two-Year-Old Fillies Preludes which opens a great night of racing. Williamson takes a powerful team of five north including Off The Canvas, Palladium, Clotilde…
Category: Meeting Previews
Akuta returns to Addington as countdown continues to NZ Cup
By Michael Guerin Akuta is on a hiding to nothing in homecoming at Addington tonight. But trainer-driver Mark Purdon says he won’t be the one piling the pressure on his exceptional pacer. The former Auckland Cup winner has returned to Canterbury, where he was born and trained for most of his career, to start his run at the IRT New Zealand Trotting Cup on November 11. That next step is in the $40,000 Avon City Ford New Brighton Cup tonight and after returning to winning form last start and then…
Sooner The Bettor gets “perfect” race at Alexandra Park tonight
By Michael Guerin On paper the small but select main pace at Alexandra Park tonight looks one of the great ratings certainties ever. But things often aren’t that simple where Sooner The Bettor is involved. The five-year-old finds himself as a Miracle Mile runner-up, to Leap To Fame of all horses, and starting from the ace in a mid-grade mobile 1700m, the Breckon Farms Mobile Pace (5.50pm) tonight . Add to that he has gate speed, the two next most favoured pacers in the race are his stablemates Better Knuckle…
First rankings revealed for IRT New Zealand Trotting Cup and Renwick Farms Dominion Trot
The first rankings are out for the IRT New Zealand Trotting Cup and the Renwick Farms Dominion Trot, to be held at Addington Raceway on Tuesday, November 11. Nominations for the two Group 1s closed late last month (34 in the New Zealand Cup and 41 for the Dominion). In the $1m New Zealand Cup Swayzee, as defending champion, 2024 Auckland Cup winner Republican Party, Inter Dominion champion Leap To Fame and 2025 Maurice Holmes Vase winner Mo’unga have automatically qualified and fill the top four places. Of the other top Kiwi chances,…
Provincial rivalry to feature at Wyndham today
By Jonny Turner Phase one of Canterbury’s raid on Southland starts on Thursday. Ranfurly Shield fever has hit the Deep South after the Stags snatched the old log of wood from Waikato last weekend. Southland’s first defence comes up on Saturday in what should be another epic battle with Canterbury. Before then, Southland’s harness racing talent will be out to repel a Canterbury attack in the trotting game. Several key runners will be crossing the Otago border to head to Wyndham on Thursday, including a likely pairing from Stonewall Stud.…
Wilkins taking winning feeling to Cambridge tonight
By Jordyn Bublitz Fresh from her first ever New Zealand driving win at Alexandra Park last Friday, Brooke Wilkins is aiming for more success at Cambridge tonight. The Australian-born links up with the Ival Brownlee-trained Emily Bay in Race 4, the IRT.Your Horse.Our Passion .Mobile Trot (6.52pm). “She’s a really consistent little trotter, and she always trots which is her biggest asset,” Wilkins says, “she’s got a good draw and it’s a pretty even race, so hopefully if we find a handy spot, we’ll be thereabouts.” A four race winner,…
US Captain now on duty at Wai Eyre Farm
The latest stallion addition at Wai Eyre Farm in North Canterbury has arrived – and already he’s making his presence felt around the place. With world champions on both sides of his pedigree, US Captain was a 22-race winner in North America, pacing 16 sub-1:50 miles. He is by Captaintreacherous out of American Jewel. Captaintreacherous is Somebeachsomewhere’s greatest performing son on the track and as a stallion while American Jewel is the highest earning mare sired by American Ideal. She was a world champion at 2 and 3, winning four…
October 1 deadline looms for Next Gen scheme
There is less than a month to go before owners, trainers and syndicators have to meet key eligibility criteria for the Next Gen bonus scheme. By October 1, 2025 Harness Racing New Zealand must be notified of the trainer details and the ownership group for any horse bought at the 2025 NZB Standardbred Yearling Sales. They will be 2YOs as of January 1, 2026. “The deadline is fast approaching, and we’re urging all owners, trainers, and syndicators to act now. Next Gen is about creating new opportunities and strengthening the…
Spring racing just days away at Addington
By Michael Guerin Tim Williams knows things are about to step up a notch. And while the in-form Canterbury horseman knows he has the horsepower to keep being a factor at Addington on Friday nights he knows the winners which flowed so steadily over the winter will be more hard fought from now on. “Things are getting really competitive,” says Williams, the No.1 southern driver for Team Telfer. “You look how strong the trials are on Wednesday then the fields at Addington this Friday and everything is going up a…
Swayzee facing tough race first up
By Adam Hamilton Dual IRT New Zealand Trotting Cup winner Swayzee will face a serious first-up challenge in the $150,000 Group 1 Len Smith Mile at Menangle (Sydney) next Saturday night. Sure he’s the best horse in the race, but the seven-year-old is first-up since April, not as well suited to sprinting as he is staying and faces some fit and firing rivals. Swayzee, who looked sharp winning a Menangle mile trial in 1min49.9sec last Wednesday, hasn’t started since finishing fourth in the Group 1 Nullarbor at Gloucester Park on…