Category: Meeting Previews

Aided by a perfect Zachary Butcher drive, Duchess Megxit has taken out tonight’s $225,000 Group 1 Tennant Engineering New Zealand Pacing Oaks at Addington. The Barry Purdon and Scott Phelan-trained daughter of Sweet Lou was positioned four back the running line from her second line draw while hot favourite Treacherous Baby, All You Need Is Me and Coastal Babe tried to dominate from the front. But at the 500 mark Duchess Megxit got a nice drag into the race behind Classic Elegance and then quickly gobbled up the field to…

By Brigette Solomon  The brand new state of the art complex at Breckon Farms has been officially opened – and it’s “impressive”. Set in the heart of the Waikato at Ohaupo, Ken and Karen Breckon’s newly-completed showpiece was unveiled with friends, colleagues, and industry members this week. “We are absolutely thrilled with it, the whole process and the people involved have been incredible,” said Ken Breckon. With formalities managed by Trackside’s Greg O’Connor and HRNZ CEO Brad Steele officially opening the complex, guests were welcomed to walk through the barns…

It’s Friday – and it will be all action at Addington and Auckland tonight. Six Group 1s, including the $225,000 Tennant Engineering Pacing Oaks, will be held at Addington with two Northern Metro Finals and two Country Cups headlining the night at Alexandra Park.  Racing at Addington starts at 5.03pm with Auckland at 5.22pm.  Re-match of the fillies in NZ Oaks  By Michael Guerin Duchess Megxit may have started this month as our best pacing filly but she has both momentum and the barrier draw against her in tonight’s $200,000…

By Dave Di Somma, Harness News Desk  What a Friday night Melissa Whyte is going to have. In the space of just over half an hour two trotters that she bred will race in two $100,000 Group 1s at Addington. Chester Gold (One Over Da Moon – Natives Lasting Love) will line up in Race 1, the IRT – Ace of Clubs 2YO Colts and Geldings Mobile Trot (5.02pm) while Natives Cullerdamoon (One Over Da Moon – Cullermein) is in Race 2, the Ace of Hearts 2YO Fillies (5.38pm). The…

By Adam Hamilton  There are short priced  favourites and then there is Keayang Zahara. The unbeaten Australian filly is at $1.04 to win Friday’s $140,000 Group 1 New Zealand Trotting Oaks at Addington Raceway (9.02pm) with Princess Sadie, Empire City and High Step all joint second favourite at $12. That she’s considered unbeatable won’t be a surprise to anyone after her eight length demolition of the field in her New Zealand debut, the Majestic Horse Floats LP THE ASCENT on Show Day, November 15. Driver Jason Lee is back in…

A high quality 343-lot catalogue has been assembled for NZB Standardbred’s 2025 National Yearling Sale to be held at Karaka and Canterbury Agricultural Park next summer. The refreshed sale format will see selling at Auckland on Saturday, February 15 and in Christchurch, Tuesday February 18. The condensed sale with inspection days between Auckland and Christchurch sessions allows time for travel and inspections. The New Zealand product continues to perform on major race days across Australasia, with NZB Standardbred graduates adding to the blockbuster performances in recent times. Headlined by horses…

With the likes of Treacherous Bay and Duchess Megxit squaring off in Friday’s $225,000 Group 1 Tennant Engineering NZ Pacing Oaks for the three-year-old fillies at Addington Raceway why not look back at who won the Oaks half a century ago? 1974 New Zealand Oaks winner – Hurrania By Dave Di Somma, Harness News Desk It was like mother like daughter in the New Zealand Oaks 50 years ago. On February 16, 1974 at Addington Raceway, Hurrania won the New Zealand Oaks, just like her mum Arania had done 15…