By Michael Guerin General Jen may have to go to a new peak to win the biggest race of her career this Friday but she has been gifted the draw to do it. The Canterbury three-year-old filly made quite the Alexandra Park debut when smashing her older rivals last Friday night and now steps back in against her own sex in the $200,000 Magness Benrow Sires’ Stakes Final back at The Park this Friday. She meets a red hot field containing Beside Me, Northern Oaks winner (and Hayden and Amanda…
Category: Meeting Previews
Keayang Zahara remains unbeaten on emotional night in Victoria
By Adam Hamilton Brilliant young trotting mare Keayang Zahara stretched her unbeaten record to 15 starts when she carried the silks of the late Greg Sugars on one of the most emotionally-charged nights Australian harness racing has seen. The four-year-old, first-up since December 6 last year, did all of the work outside multiple Group 1 winner Im Ready Jet and lifted when it mattered to win by a head at Melton. As her driver Glen Craven returned to the winner’s circle, it signalled the start of a beautiful and deeply…
Another huge win for Mister Smartee
By Adam Hamilton Former Kiwi pacer Mister Smartee completed Western Australia’s big pacing double with a barnstorming $300,000 Group 1 Fremantle Cup win at Gloucester Park last night. Just as he did a week earlier to win the $1.25 million Nullarbor, Gary Hall Jr drove a stunning race, this time escaping a tricky pocket at just the right time. It gave his father, Gary Hall Sr, a remarkable 11th win in the Fremantle Cup. It was Hall Jr’s 10th driving win in the Grand Circuit feature. “He’s just the best…
Paige and Arthur Shelby star at Addington
By Michael Guerin A relationship that dates back to the great Courage Under Fire combined to win the biggest race of the night at Addington on Friday. But this time it was with a trotter called Paige, who bounced around between Bruce Negus and Colin De Filippi early in her career. Negus and De Filippi were of course the combination that took the champion young pacer Courage Under Fire to 24 straight wins at the turn of the century before the horse moved to Brian Hancock’s care in New South…
Republican Party wins fourth Group 1 in six months
By Michael Guerin History and the future met in perfect synergy when Republican Party won the $100,000 Roy Purdon Memorial at Alexandra Park on Friday. On face value it was simple stuff as the wonderful pacer made it four Group 1 wins in six months when he rolled to the front effortlessly at the 1600m mark and never looked like being headed. It capped a career-best night for young driver Carter Dalgety who drove two Group 1 winners after Fugitive won the $90,000 Breckon Farms Young Guns Final earlier in…
Bet N Win too good in Rowe Cup
By Michael Guerin The biggest decision of David and Stacey Whites’ training career may have been the race they chose not to start in. The greatest moment came a week later, in the $200,000 Reharvest Rowe Cup at Alexandra Park on Friday night. The Whites train Bet N Win, the horse we all thought would win a Rowe Cup one day but we were starting to doubt it might be this one. After starting 2025 so well the five-year-old was below par in his two runs at Cambridge and was…
Greg Sugars to be honoured at Melton meeting
By Adam Hamilton Greg Sugars will be honoured in a variety of ways, including a race named in his honour, at Melton in Victoria on Saturday night. Sugars’ wife, Jess Tubbs, trains three of the nine runners in the Vale Greg Sugars Free-For-All (Race 5). Australia’s premier driver, James Herbertson, has jetted back from a working holiday in the US and will drive favourite, Rocknroll Hammer, in the race. Trailblazing female Kerryn Manning will drive veteran former Kiwi pacer Triple Eight for Tubbs, while Craig Demmler will be aboard former…
Crystal Hackett bags four at Palmy
By Dave Di Somma, Harness News Desk Palmerston North is not the most convenient place to get to for Crystal Hackett but the effort last night was certainly worth it. The Auckland-based junior driver won four races on the seven race card at Manawatu with Ragnar Lothbrok, Kenny Hill, Colin McBride and Skys Legacy. “A few of them just stuck their heads out at the right time and they all tried really hard so it was a good night,” says Hackett. So which one was the most satisfying? “All of…
Fantom’s Rowe Cup double in the 1940s
A new Rowe Cup champion will be crowned at Alexandra Park tonight. The $200,000 feature has three trotting millionaires in Oscar Bonavena, Muscle Mountain and Queen Elida all vying for more Group 1 glory, but none of the 12 horses that will line up at 9.28pm have won it before. Since the first Rowe Cup in 1918, there have been an elite group to have won it multiple times. The great Lyell Creek is the only trotter to have won three times and two-time winners include Sundees Son (2019-2021), I…
Arthur Shelby aiming to go four from five at Addington tonight
By Michael Guerin Trainer Brendon Hill has no concerns about Arthur Shelby stepping up in grade at Addington tonight. Because he knows where the exciting pacer is heading. Arthur Shelby has won three of his four starts and was brave beating Trump Card in a R50-60 race at Addington last Friday. He moves into R58-69 grade in the Share The Dream With Woodlands Stud Mobile Pace (8.35pm) against the likes of Xlendi and Radha tonight but Hill says the son of Bettor’s Delight isn’t finished winning yet. “I am not…