Each year leading into the IRT New Zealand Trotting Cup, IRT has a race night at Addington and in recent times, we have used it to celebrate the many different heroes associated with the great sport of harness racing. We’ve used it to acknowledge legends of our industry – both horse and human – and last year we gave thanks to the Unsung Heroes of the game, those who put in the hard yards behind the scenes such as the stable hands and the volunteers that ensure trial days and…
Category: Meeting Previews
Leap To Fame’s NZ Cup bid to be decided after Melton race
By Adam Hamilton The hopes of Leap To Fame contesting the IRT New Zealand Trotting Cup look to rest on a race at Melton on Saturday night. Trainer-driver Grant Dixon swung a surprise today by putting the champion pacer the final field of six runners for a 2240m free-for-all. And the plan is to run and then decide on the NZ raid. Leap To Fame has passed two major “check points” since his slightly below par third in last Saturday night’s Group 1 Victoria Cup. It was the first time…
Whites with five potential starters in Harness 5000
By Dave Di Somma, Harness News Desk For local trainer Brent White the Harness 5000 is literally on his back door step. “There’ll be no float fees that day,” he says. Based at Ashburton Raceway the father-son combo of Brent and Tim White are looking forward to December 21. “It’s a good concept and if we can get some money going back to our owners – why not?” Harness 5000, featuring 12 $60,000 finals, is for trotters and pacers whose sire stood for an advertised retail service fee of…
Could Kingman be heading to the New Zealand Cup?
By Adam Hamilton Victoria Cup winner Kingman could be a shock late entry for the $1m IRT New Zealand Trotting Cup at Addington Raceway on Tuesday, November 11. Owner-breeder Mick Harvey dropped the bombshell on Melbourne radio this morning. “We’ll see how the next few days go once Luke (McCarthy, trainer-driver) gets him settled back home, but if you asked me now … I’d say he’ll go,” he said. “The horse came through that win so well. He was strong on the line and he’s at the top of his…
The Kaikoura Cup through the years – Part 3
The Kaikoura Cup will celebrate its 100th running this year. Over the next few weeks Kaikoura Trotting Club historian Phil Gourdie will look back at the history of the great race. This is the third installment – Back to back winners By Phil Gourdie After Diamond Moose became the first horse to back to back in 1983-84 (as mentioned in a previous column) it didn’t take long to get a second. Spry Joker, owned by Ray Winter and trained and driven by Hall of Famer J A (Jack) Carmichael, repeated…
Important Notice – Kaikoura Two-Day Meeting (November 2-3, 2025)
Over the past week, there has been discussion regarding planned road closures on State Highway 1 between Waipara and Kaikoura, which had the potential to impact travel to and from the Kaikoura meeting. We’re pleased to confirm that the Kaikoura Club has successfully worked with Downer to delay the scheduled works, meaning full road closures will now not commence until Tuesday, 4 November. However, please note that traffic management will be in place from 9:00 p.m. on Monday, 3 November, including stop/go operations and potential delays of up to 10…
O’Reilly back in winning form at Oamaru
By Jonny Turner It might have just been a maiden race, but Sarah O’Reilly got an extra buzz when winning with Molly Maeve Estelle at Oamaru on Sunday. O’Reilly was having her first drive at just her second meeting back in the sulky after sustaining a nasty arm injury in a trackwork incident in July last year. With 304 victories to her name, the winning feeling is nothing unusual for the talented reinswoman. But she admitted she got an extra kick out of getting back into the winner’s circle with…
Leap To Fame beaten again in Victoria Cup
By Adam Hamilton Leap To Fame’s long-waited New Zealand Cup raid is in limbo after another defeat in last night’s $250,000 Group 1 Victoria Cup at Melton. Trainer-driver Grant Dixon said the next few days would decide plans. “That’s two runs down here he hasn’t quite been at his best,” he said. “He seems ok, but his heart rate is higher than normal. “We’ll see how he is and make a decision on NZ early in the week.” Leap To Fame was far from disgraced, but laboured into a…
Ashburton Flying Stakes key to pair’s New Zealand Cup hopes
By Michael Guerin The Ashburton Flying Stakes could decide the New Zealand Cup chances of Jeremiah and Better Knuckle Up. And it may now also play a pivotal role in the preparation of their stablemate Merlin after his moderate fifth at Addington on Friday night. Jeremiah and Better Knuckle Up head south next week to join the rest of the Barry Purdon/Scott Phelan raiders already in Canterbury and they looked in fine form for the trip when they quinellaed the Vale Chris Garrard Pace at Alexandra Park on Friday night.…
Major setback for Swayzee
By Adam Hamilton The odds are mounting against Swayzee’s quest for a record-equalling third successive IRT New Zealand Trotting Cup win at Addington Raceway on Tuesday, November 11. The champion stayer missed defending his Victoria Cup title with a bowel infection and owner Mick Boots revealed it is still an issue. “He’s touch and go for NZ,” Boots said. “It’s that bowel infection and it’ll be hard to get the work into him for an NZ Cup.” The line in the sand looks to be next Saturday night’s Battle of…