Category: Meeting Previews

By Jonny Turner   Theoretically Always Dreaming should be winning his Southern Surge Final at Gore on Sunday. But with lucrative stakes up and an outstanding series about to culminate, theories can go out the window. Always Dreaming is part of a powerful squad that trainer-driver Nathan Williamson lines up on a big day for southern harness racing. The three-year-old beat the same field he faces from the same tough draw in his excellent Southern Surge heat win at Ascot Park a fortnight ago. As the pacer was fresh up…

By Michael Guerin Tonight’s $40,000 Allied Security Maurice Holmes Vase at Addington (8.14pm) isn’t Franco Marek’s Grand Final but it holds his ticket to his Grand Final. The hard-running pacer looks the most likely beneficiary of his last-start conqueror Alta Meteor missing tonight’s Group 3 race after he beat many of these home when finishing second last start. While owner-trainer Greg Manson was pleased with that performance tonight’s race has always been his early season aim with Franco Marek because it includes a golden ticket  for the winner into the…

By Michael Guerin Scott Phelan knows Better Knuckle Up and Jeremiah are up to open class.  What their co-trainer doesn’t know if whether that is good enough to win their comeback race at Alexandra Park tonight. The two four-year-olds resume for Phelan and senior training partner Barry Purdon in a serious 1700m scamper at Alexandra Park tonight, up against Akuta, who was super costly for punters when being beaten in a similar race two weeks ago. Akuta should be fitter for his third that night and could be ready to…

There is just one week to go before nominations close for the IRT New Zealand Trotting Cup and the Renwick Farms Dominion Trot at Addington Raceway on Tuesday, November 11. Nominations opened on August 11 and already there has been significant interest from both sides of the Tasman.  Though numbers are expected to increase markedly before the deadline so far there are 20 nominations for the Cup and 19 for the Dominion. This year no nominations will be accepted until payment has been made. Nominations close at 3pm (NZT) Thursday,…

By Jordyn Bublitz  Emily Johnson is gearing up for a busy night at her home track tonight. She’ll take the reins behind four runners at Cambridge Raceway, with two drives for her employer Sean McCaffrey, and one each for Todd Mitchell and Craig Sharpe. Her first engagement of the night comes in Race 1, the Wednesday Quiz Night At The Clubhouse Handicap Trot, where she partners the promising three-year-old trotter Ya Eejit Ya. The gelding finds himself in a slightly easier field after a solid fifth at Alexandra Park, where…

After a short break in August, the very popular Metro series is back. September 12 will see four heats run, two each for the R40-50 Pacers and Trotters. Each heat will be worth $17,000 with the first four in each of them automatically qualifying for the two $35,000 finals a fortnight later (September 26). All heats and finals will be held at Alexandra Park. The Metro series is a key part of the Look North strategy launched last year to reinvigorate racing in Auckland and Cambridge. The last finals were…