Category: Punting

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.…

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…

By Jonny Turner  Tim Williams admits he doesn’t know what Miki Bennett will do when the tapes fly in the Placemakers Oamaru Cup (4.22pm) on Sunday. The pacer comes into the 2600m handicap after botching his last standing start before producing a huge recovery to win. That victory came down in the grades, and if Miki Bennett does it again he will face an almighty task to win. But Williams is hopeful his charge can do things right because of one crucial factor. “He is a quirky character and, to…

By Jordyn Bublitz  It was a milestone night at Cambridge Raceway on Thursday, as one of harness racing’s most respected participants Luk Chin notched up his 200th training victory, and in true Luk Chin fashion, he did it with a horse he bred, trains, and drove himself. The memorable win came in the Garrards Horse And Hound Handicap Trot with Voronov, who exploded off the front line like a bullet and quickly took control of the race. From there, Chin dictated the tempo perfectly, fending off the late challengers to…

By Jonny Turner  It didn’t quite go to plan, but punters got it right when backing Matthew Williamson to win his first Group race as a trainer at Ascot Park yesterday. A brilliant beginner starting from the front line, Princess Sadie was meant to lead and win the Group 3 The Dark Horse, judging by the way her win dividend crunched in. And despite having to regather after making a flyer in what was a false start to the mares’ feature, everything went to plan initially. But at the 400m…

By Michael Guerin Three favourites, three different states of readiness. That sums up the powerful Barry Purdon/Scott Phelan assault on Addington tonight as the open class pacing season steps up a gear in the $60,000 Lamb and Hayward Canterbury Classic (9.35pm). The stable have their elite pacers Merlin and Sooner The Bettor in the capacity field, up against Republican Party, We Walk By Faith and Alta Meteor, so basically all the local New Zealand Cup-winning chances aside from Akuta, who is sidelined this week. The northern stable also have our…

By Michael Guerin Patience rather than panic is the key to finally getting the best out of frustrating trotter Pantani. The four-year-old heads to Alexandra Park tonight for Race 2, the Garrards Pesticides Northern Metro Trotters Heat (6.19pm) that he would almost certainly win if he raced up to his best form. He did that for the first time in a year four starts ago and thrashed a similar field by 10-and-a-half lengths at The Park but he has galloped in all three starts since. Trainer-driver David Butcher says Pantani…