By Michael Guerin If you like a multi bet Addington’s stacked feature race programme this Friday could be the night for you. The meeting features six Group 1s, including both the NZ Pacing and Trotting Oaks as well as four “Ace” races for the two-year-old trotters and pacers, split on sex. Along with the Ian Dobson Memorial for three-year-old pacing boys it is one of the biggest nights of age group racing of the season with a mini-Jewels feel to it. But after some standout results at the Cup carnival…
Category: Meeting Previews
Wide draw for Tact McLeod in opening ID heat
By Adam Hamilton Emerging Kiwi pacer Tact McLeod faces a tough start to his NSW Inter Dominion campaign. The lone Kiwi in the series, Tact McLeod will start from outside the front row (gate eight) over 2030m in the opening round of heats at Newcastle on Friday night. On a positive note, the Mark Jones-trained pacer, who was a late entry only last week, looks to have landed in the weakest of the three opening night pacing heats. His major dangers will be Zeuss Bromac (gate one), Blacksadance (two), Cantfindabettorman…
HRNZ announces changes to acceptances and nominations
Changes have been made to procedures regarding the day and timing of acceptances and nominations. The practice of publishing “last start drivers” will also be discontinued. To see the official release click here
Miki B heading to Addington on Friday after Nursery Stakes win
Friday Night Lights promises to be next level this week. The double-header will see Addington Raceway headline the night’s action with six Group 1s, while at Auckland there’ll be two Northern Metro Finals and two Country Cups. At Addington, Aces and Oaks Race Night will start at 5pm. There’ll be the Group 1 $100,000 Aces of Hearts, Clubs, Diamonds and Spades for the two-year-old trotters and pacers, of both genders, as well as the $140,000 What The Hill New Zealand Trotting Oaks and the $225,000 Tennant Engineering New Zealand Pacing…
Amalfi with strong credentials at Motukarara
By Mike Love Richmond Park trainer Robert Stuart heads to Banks Peninsula today with a strong chance of success with maiden pacer Amalfi. Sam Ottley will reunite with him in Race 2, the NZMTC Supports Grass Racing Mobile Pace. The four-year-old Sweet Lou gelding was huge in his fresh up run at Rangiora on November 8 where he sat parked the trip and only went down a short margin. Stuart believes the gelding will be ready to run another strong race. “He seems as good as was three weeks ago.…
“Thriving” South Seas Rock does it tough in Invercargill
By Jonny Turner South Seas Rock capped a remarkable three weeks with his monstrous victory at Ascot Park yesterday. The tough pacer sat parked throughout yesterday’s Woodlands Stud Thanks Southern Breeders Mobile Pace while some talented rivals enjoyed softer runs, but that didn’t stop South Seas Rock from scoring a big win for trainer Tyler Dewe and driver Hayden Douglas. Over the past three weeks, South Seas Rock has competed with merit at Kaikoura Cup Day, New Zealand Cup Day and Show Day at Addington. The travel to those meetings…
Review underway into Kaikoura’s meeting
A joint review of Kaikoura’s two day meeting is underway, and change could be in the wind. The South Bay raceway hosted eight races under the Fast 10 format on Sunday November 3 followed on Marlborough Anniversary day by 10 races including the Alabar Kaikoura Cup. From a turnover perspective there was mixed news. Export turnover, from Australia, was strong and up significantly on 2023. On-course turnover and the number of individuals betting on the two meetings was also encouraging, though the overall turnover was down – from $2.53m to…
Start key for Rakero Rocket in Timaru Cup
By Mike Love The first few seconds will be critical to favourite Rakero Rocket’s chances in today’s Tyre General Summer Cup at Phar Lap raceway. There is no doubting the gelding’s ability. On cup day at Addington he beat a field which is not much stronger than the one he meets today – though that was from a mobile. Trainer Tom Bamford feels it could go either way whether the gelding by Rock N Roll Heaven steps or not – his confidence shaken while at Kaikoura where he almost turned…
Whale Watch – Timaru
Craig “The Whale” Thompson shares his thoughts on Timaru today.
Kilgour’s first NZ win at Alexandra Park “unbeatable feeling”
By Michael Guerin Sammy Kilgour got her first New Zealand win as a horse trainer when Loteria finally got things right at Alexandra Park on Friday night. But it might have felt more like her first win as a horse psychiatrist. Kilgour has spent much of her life in Australia but has lived on both sides of the Tasman since meeting her now fiancee Joshua Dickie. The pair trained winners in partnership in Australia but when Loteria overcame the unruly to easily leave maidens in the Classique Landscapers Trot it…