Category: Meeting Previews

by Jonny Turner Wyndham punters will need to choose between outstanding age-group form and rock-hard fitness on Thursday. Princess Sadie will line up in a Silk Road Trotting Series heat, her first start since signing off an excellent three-year-old season in December. Just two starts ago, the now four-year-old mare ran second behind superstar Aussie Keyang Zahara in the Group One New Zealand Trotting Oaks. It looks outstanding form to bring to Young Quinn Raceway, even if the trotter has a 20m handicap to overcome. While her class can’t be…

by Jordyn Bublitz The father-daughter duo of Derek and Neita Balle have two runners set to take the stage tonight at Cambridge Raceway. A relatively new partnership, Neita admits she didn’t quite believe her dad when he first offered to train together. “We were having a laugh a few months ago when I jokingly asked him when we were going into partnership,” she said. “He told me, ‘Whenever you want to,’ and I laughed it off.” “Three months down the track, he walked into the barn and asked if I wanted to go…

Custom-made packages are now available for those wanting to follow the World Driving Championship (WDC25) around New Zealand this November. This will be the first time New Zealand has hosted the prestigious event on its own. Ten drivers from around the world, including our own Blair Orange, will compete at the following venues:•    Kaikoura – November 2 & 3•    Cambridge – November 5•    Addington – November 7•    Winton – November 9•    IRT New Zealand Cup Day at Addington – Tuesday, November 11 There has already…

By Rob Courtney  Richard Cornelius is long retired with his feet up in Prebbleton but the wily Cantabrian has been a harness enthusiast for as long as he can remember. His list of winners indicates he has won his share of good races.  Gail Devers (Live Or Die – Awesome Dream) won 10 from just 19 starts and Oscar Wild (Albert Albert – For The Boys) won 11 and was placed in an Auckland Cup. Both were trained by David and Catherine Butt when they were winning multiple trainers premierships…

By Dave Di Somma, Harness News Desk  After 40 years, Morrinsville-based trainer Leanne Edwards is calling time on her training career. “I still love them (the horses) but it’s time for a change,” says Edwards, “I’m hanging up the bridle.” “I sold my last one (Cupids Arrow) last month.” Edwards’ first winner was Grattan Royale in 1984. He ended up winning six from 24 and her headliner was Frugal Echo, who won 16 from 81 career starts. “He was the best trotter I ever trained,” she says. In the early…

A decision has been made allowing Nigel McGrath to make a partial return to the industry, but under very strict conditions. At the last Harness Racing New Zealand AGM clubs and kindred bodies passed a rule change allowing any banned party to apply for an exemption if they have served at least half of their penalty. McGrath, who was banned for eight years, met this criteria and subsequently applied for a number of exemptions.  HRNZ’s Exemptions Committee met to consider the matter and concluded that the conditions regarding McGrath’s ban…

By Adam Hamilton  It was a perfect start for Team Purdon’s Queensland raid at Albion Park last night. Mark and Nathan Purdon’s two raiders, Oscar Bonavena and Rubira, both won impressively. And Nathan Purdon was quick to add the pair had significant room to improve, too. Old Oscar Bonavena showed all his trademark speed and class when patiently driven by Adam Sanderson. The nine-year-old stalked a hot speed, loomed into the race coming to the final bend and cruised home to win without being extended by 4.4m in a slick…

By Mike Love  The New Zealand Amateur Drivers championship will conclude today at Addington raceway with two final heats.  Currently there are three leaders in the series locked up on seven points in Bruce Hadley, Cheree Wigg and Frank Phelan, while each driver has a mathematical chance to take out the series with only seven points separating all of the drivers. At the opposite end of the table on zero points is Craig Sharpe. However, Sharpe will drive the two warm favourites – the Matt Purvis trained Almighty Clever in…