Check out this week’s The Box Seat
Category: Meeting Previews
McIlwrick with “claasee” book of drives at Winton today
By Jonny Turner The winning chances that Rory McIlwrick teams up with at Winton on Thursday are in good hands. McIlwrick has been on a winning run recently, but not in the way many punters would suspect. The horseman has been producing great results through his equine bodywork and massage business. McIlwrick is hoping his hands can produce more success with his book of five drives at Winton. They’ll be especially important when Claasee lines up behind the mobile to chase down her second career victory in Race 3, the…
HRNZ Update from the Chair
The HRNZ Board is committed to being a good and open communicator with all sections of the sport and will be providing regular updates on what it’s doing, and where its priorities lie. By way of background, the seven-member Board was appointed at the HRNZ AGM in October last year, with members coming from Auckland to Invercargill. The Board consists of : Grant Jarrold (Chair)Hannah Doney (Vice Chair)Shaun Brooks (Finance Chair)Jane DavisGeorgina HunterStephen O’ConnorTim Sissons Profiles : Grant Jarrold – Chair Based in Christchurch, Grant is a retired chartered accountant…
Dexter Dunn’s “unbelievable” win at Dan Patch awards
By Dave Di Somma, Harness News Desk The rushed trip back to the United States was well worth it for champion driver Dexter Dunn. The 10-time Kiwi champion arrived in Florida just a hour before the annual Dan Patch awards started, and he’d be pleased he did. Dunn had been in Brisbane over the weekend, finishing fourth in the inaugural Ultimate Drivers Championship at Albion Park. Earlier he’d been holidaying back home in New Zealand. He always knew he was going to win his fifth USA Driver of the…
Nikita Burton chasing elusive first win
Double-headers on Tuesday and Friday will make for a busy harness racing week around the country. Addington and Manawatu get underway on Tuesday, with Manawatu’s seven race card starting at 3.24pm and the first of Addington’s eight races set down for 4.28pm. Winton is next to go on Thursday with Friday Night Lights featuring meetings at both Alexandra Park and Addington. The week is rounded out with a Sunday meeting at Rangiora. Burton hoping to go one better with Ultimate Counsel By Dave Di Somma, Harness News Desk After going…
Vale Mark Gill
By Dave Di Somma, Harness News Desk A memorial service will be held on March 1 for one of the mainstays of the Marlborough harness racing scene Mark Gill who’s died suddenly in Blenheim. The 76-year-old, a hobby trainer for 30 years, was still working fulltime as a farm worker and had been shoeing and working horses only a day before he had a sudden and unexpected medical event. “It was a huge shock for everyone to lose him so quickly,” says grand-daughter and training partner Kendra Gill. After moving…
Williamsons clock up four wins at Cromwell
By Jonny Turner The Williamsons rolled into Cromwell over the weekend and the results were rather familiar. Brad Williamson’s winning double yesterday added to the incredible success his family have enjoyed at the Central Otago venue which is something of a home away from home for them. Brad kicked Sunday’s meeting off in style with Isobel running to an impressive debut victory in Race 1, the Central Otago Motor Group Trot. The three-year-old trialled impressively ahead of her first start and she produced a faultless trotting display under the pressure…
NZ campaign mapped out for Leap To Fame
By Adam Hamilton Kiwis are likely to see champion Aussie pacer Leap To Fame in the flesh earlier than expected. The six-year-old heads to a title defence in the $1m Miracle Mile at his next run on Saturday week, then the focus switches to the $1m Race by Betcha at Cambridge on April 4. But owner Kevin Seymour said it was “most likely” Leap To Fame would have a lead-up run at Cambridge in the $60,000 Group 2 Waikato Flying Mile on March 28. “Grant will start locking down plans…
Youngster upstages the “superstars” at Ultimate Driver Challenge
By Adam Hamilton Kiwi young gun Carter Dalgety was among the first to congratulate his Queensland contemporary Angus Garrard after his historic win in the inaugural Ladbrokes Ultimate Driver Challenge at Albion Park. Dalgety and Garrard shared a bond as the two “babies” at just 21 in the stellar 10-driver line-up in the first series of its kind, run across 20 races and two nights. “I know Angus and I were blown away just being part of it against all these superstars, people we’ve looked up … winning it must…
Dance Till Dawn too strong in Ashburton Cup
By Mike Love Dance Till Dawn is enjoying a purple patch of form right. Yesterday the six-year-old mare made it two wins in a row for driver John Dunn and trainers Jenna and Robert Dunn by impressively taking out the Gallagher Insurance Ashburton Cup. “They did run along a majority of the way. I didn’t have to cover any extra ground which was lucky,” said John Dunn. Beginning well from their 10 metre handicap, Dance Till Dawn settled four back the markers and stayed there for the majority of the…