Harness Racing New Zealand and Addington Raceway have confirmed that qualifying trials are going to be held before Addington’s Tuesday and Wednesday meetings. There will be a maximum of four trials, one of each gait, and a mobile and a standing start. The trials will be for only unqualified horses seeking to qualify. The trials will be held on : Wednesday, March 19Wednesday, April 9Tuesday, April 15 Wednesday, April 30 Wednesday, May 7Wednesday, May 14 Nominations should be sent to Cameron Kirkwood at HRNZ by the day prior to the trials. He…
Category: Meeting Previews
Kiwis not helped by draws in Miracle Mile
By Adam Hamilton New Zealand’s hopes of adding to its proud Miracle Mile strike look even slimmer after the barrier draw. Kiwi prospects were dealt a blow when NZ’s two best-performed pacers, Merlin and Don’t Stop Dreaming, failed to qualify for Saturday night’s $1m feature at Menangle. Pleasingly, lesser fancied pair Tact McLeod and Sooner The Bettor did make the cut. But the barrier hasn’t helped either of them, especially the emerging Tact McLeod. While the Mark Jones-trained pacer has terrific gate speed, he will start from gate six and…
Even field assembled for today’s Rangiora Classic
By Mike Love An exciting and even line-up will contest today’s $35,000 Robin & Geraldine Wilson Rangiora Classic. The 2600m feature on the grass (3.14pm) sees Pinseeker a $4 favourite for trainer-driver Jonny Cox, while last year’s winner Franco Marek will be looking for back to back Classics after a powerful fresh up display at Addington. He’s currently at $4.60. Looking to spoil the party is the Mark and Nathan Purdon trained Vessem to be driven by Blair Orange. The four-year-old Vincent gelding was gallant in defeat last time out…
Chanelle Dickie takes three to HOY
By Dave Di Somma, Harness News Desk Chanelle Dickie is in for a busy week. Well-known in Canterbury equestrian and re-homing circles, as well as being a HERO Educator and Ambassador, “The Pink Lady” is driving to the Horse of the Year (HOY) at Hastings with three Standardbreds ahead of their competition next Thursday. “We’ll be all done in one day – it’s full on.” HOY is by far the country’s biggest and most prestigious equestrian event spanning six days of competition and featuring around 1400 riders in a variety…
Racing Rewards Easter Showcase confirmed for April 19
The Racing Rewards Easter Showcase will return to Addington Raceway for a fourth time in 2025. Terms and conditions for the Showcase have been approved by Harness Racing New Zealand with five $30,000 races confirmed for Saturday, April 19. The series will be for 4Y0 and older horses, rated 57 and below on January 1,2025 with three races for the pacers (capacity field of 14) and two for the trotters (capacity field of 16). To qualify for the “finals” horses have to have had a minimum of five starts between…
Dunstan secures final spot in TAB Trot
By Dave Di Somma, Harness News Desk It could be racing’s perfect marriage. Dunstan Horse Feeds has just secured the eighth and final slot for the $600,000 TAB Trot at Cambridge’s Night of Champions on April 4 – and all they need is a horse. And Queensland trainer Graham Dwyer reckons in Not As Promised he has the horse for the big race – and all he needs is a slot. So could be a deal be done? Not so fast, says Dunstan’s founder/director Dave Smith. “We have a couple…
Beside Me and Bet N Win star at Addington
By Michael Guerin Cran Dalgety has been here before. This time last year in fact with a filly who has so many similarities to his new rave pacer Beside Me. The three-year-old is causing heads to turn every time she steps on the track, the latest when she thrashed older opponents by five lengths at Addington on Friday night courtesy of a 56-second last 800m in the Breckon Farms Thanks Buyers Mobile Pace. A big, strong daughter of Downbytheseaside and former outstanding filly Dream About Me, Beside Me is bred…
Latest round of Metro heats to be run next Tuesday
The ever popular series of Metro Heats and Finals will kick off in 2025 at Cambridge next Tuesday. The raceway will host heats for both the 3YO and older R35-45 pacers and trotters. Both heats will be worth $8000. To see the field for the Trotters’ heat click here To see the field for the Pacers’ heat click here There’ll be a second round of $16,000 heats at Alexandra Park on Friday, March 14 before the $35,000 finals for both gaits, also at Alexandra Park on March 21. The first…
Draw and fitness on Merlin’s side in Menangle Group 2
By Adam Hamilton Expect to see a better and sharper Merlin when he chases a Miracle Mile berth at Menangle on Saturday night. Co-trainer Scott Phelan said the star pacer’s second at Menangle last Saturday night has “brought him on plenty” ahead of Saturday night’s $100,000 Group 2 Cordina Group Sprint (10.30pm). Merlin, who races as Its Merlin in Australia, will need a top three finish to be certain of a spot in the $1 million Miracle Mile a week later. He’s got the draw to do it from gate…
News Briefs – February 27
The return of rising star Marketplace, Seth Hill’s win in the Revell Douglas series, Kentuckiana’s big open day and a Kiwi bred that’s become a millionaire all feature in this week’s News Briefs. Marketplace wins at trials Rising star Marketplace has excelled at Thursday’s Pukekohe trials, running his last 400 in 26.2. The Regan Todd-trained Marketplace, crowned 2YO Pacing Colt/Gelding of the year at the recent HRNZ awards, won the four-horse heat by a head from Jeremiah. It was the pacer’s first public hit out this year after a…