Category: Meeting Previews

Who will win the 100th Kaikoura Cup?

NZHarnessNews

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 second installment – Records are made to be broken! By Phil Gourdie On October 29, 1973 Royal Ascot, breed, owned and trained by Colin McLaughlin and driven by Felix Newfield set a New Zealand record of 3.03, off the 30m mark, for the 2400m stand. The field did not have an answer to the spirited finish…

The ones to watch on Victoria Cup night

NZHarnessNews

By Adam Hamilton Never has there been such broad New Zealand interest in a Victoria Cup meeting. That’s because so many of the stars strutting their stuff at Melton on Saturday night could be headed to Cup Week at Addington. Leading the way is the great Leap To Fame, but there are at least eight other stars for Kiwi fans to watch closely. Here’s my guide to “Kiwi watch” runners on Victoria Cup night. RACE 3 – VICTORIA OAKS (9.30pm) No.4 JOYRIDE: She’s a bit different being the lone Kiwi-trained…

Keayang Zahara jumps to seventh in latest rankings

NZHarnessNews

After going through her first New Zealand campaign unbeaten, Australian superstar Keayang Zahara is the biggest mover in this week’s rankings for the Renwick Farms Dominion Trot and the IRT New Zealand Trotting Cup, to be held at Addington Raceway on Tuesday, November 11. The Volstead four-year-old, who famously won her first 15 starts, was super impressive winning the Dullard Cup in Melbourne over the weekend, beating the likes of Inter Dominion and TAB Trot champion Arcee Phoenix in the process. That victory, her 16th in 17 career starts, has…

Sarah O’Reilly heading back to the races

NZHarnessNews

By Dave Di Somma, Harness News Desk  After 15 months away one of the country’s brightest talents Sarah O’Reilly will return to competitive driving at Addington on Friday night. “I definitely missed it,” says O’Reilly, “and I am ready and good to go.” The Ashburton-based trainer-driver has been off the scene since July 2024 when a horse literally jumped into her cart during trackwork, breaking her arm and causing other injuries. Since then the road to recovery has been a long and trying one. Some weeks ago O’Reilly got the…

Harnesslink to continue under new ownership

NZHarnessNews

Popular harness racing platform Harnesslink will continue, under new ownership. It has been saved by major Australian owner Mick Harvey after earlier concerns that it would close, with the loss of half a dozen jobs, if a new owner wasn’t found by last Friday. The Sydney-based businessman has stepped in to buy the website as Kiwi founder and long-time owner John Curtin looks to step away from the day to day business. “Harnesslink has been a trusted source of global harness racing coverage for more than two decades,” says Harvey.…

It’s Punter of the Year time again

NZHarnessNews

A new format’s been finalised for the TAB Show Day Punter of the Year Challenge at Addington Raceway. The Friday (November 14) meeting is always a massive part of Cup week and includes the two $500,000 slot races, the Majestic Horse Floats THE ASCENT and the Hill, Lee and Scott THE VELOCITY. This year’s Challenge will see one major change from previous editions – all transactions will be done on-line whereas last year teams were given a betting voucher and then had to bet on the tote. Each syndicate can…

Track re-surfacing complete at Ashburton

NZHarnessNews

Ashburton Raceway has had a major makeover ahead of its huge finish to the year. An entirely new surface has been laid, with around 600 tonnes of material being replaced. The work was overseen by Harness Racing New Zealand’s Track Facilities Manager John Denton. “We had a slight delay to doing the work because of bad weather earlier in the month but the whole process went smoothly,” says Denton, “we are confident that the track will provide an excellent racing surface.” View track video here The Ashburton Trotting Club will…

HRNZ delighted with latest turnover figures

NZHarnessNews

Harness racing turnovers topped $3.5m for three meetings in this country over the weekend, a big increase on previous years. The Akaroa Trotting Club’s meeting at Motukarara moved from Saturday in 2024 to Sunday and the impact on turnover was telling. Overall turnover was $1.34m, up 67 per cent, with nearly 6000 more punters placing a bet this year, compared to 2024. It attracted the second highest number of unique punters at any Motukarara meeting and beaten only by the Banks Peninsula Trotting Club meeting there in December 2023. The…

Classy field confirmed for Canterbury Classic at Addington this Friday

NZHarnessNews

By Michael Guerin It is hard not to get the feeling the road to the IRT New Zealand Trotting Cup actually starts this weekend. We may suggest that is starts with the first open class race of the spring or some of the others along the way. But it is not until you get all the big boys together in one place you get to really measure who is going in the right direction for November 11. Friday night’s $60,000 Lamb And Hayward Canterbury Classic at Addington is that race.…