By Michael Guerin A private workout at Addington on Monday convinced trainer Cran Dalgety of two things heading into tonight’s East West Fencing Summer Cup. The first is that Republican Party is ready to win even from the toughest draw and the second is Franco Sinatra will be better off without hopples in the same race. Dalgety and wife Chrissie will try something which is very much a rarity in open class racing in New Zealand these days when the start Franco Sinatra without hopples in tonight’s feature. Mach Shard…
Category: Punting
Group 1s highlight big night at Alexandra Park
By Michael Guerin The trainer who could dominate tonight’s Group 1 Trot at Alexandra Park has a surprise for punters. Because Michelle Wallis says the pecking order for the four reps she and husband Bernie Hackett take to the $100,000 TAB Queen of Diamonds may have changed in the last week, even if the bookies don’t think so. The couple are nearing the end of a hugely successful season and could put an exclamation mark on it tonight with Belle Neige, American Muscle, Faith In Manchester and Courmayeur in the…
$500 Bonus Bet up for grabs at Phoebe Stud Harness 5000
A $500 TAB Bonus Bet will be given away as part of Ashburton’s big Harness 5000 meeting next week. Sponsored by Phoebe Stud, the Harness 5000 will feature 12 $60,000 races next Sunday (December 21). Entries for the HRNZ $500 TAB Bonus Bet open tomorrow (Friday, December 12). The winner will be drawn after Race 3 on Phoebe Stud Harness 5000 day. The winner must be on-course to claim the prize. If they are not it will be re-drawn until a winner is found. The prize is a $500 Bonus…
Margherita heads south following Cambridge win
By Jordyn Bublitz Margherita lines up today at Palmerston North in the Doug Bradley Painters Palmerstonian Mobile Pace with trainer Danielle Green hoping the honest mare can continue her upward trajectory after what has been a long, patience-testing road. Based in Morrinsville, Green has worked with Margherita her entire career, and while the mare has always shown ability, her biggest battles have taken place away from the track. Persistent issues with tying up have stalled her progress more than once, forcing Green into a constant cycle of trial and error…
Dunn with “great” book of drives at Manawatu today
By Dave Di Somma, Harness News Desk Jacob Dunn looks like the one to follow at Manawatu today. The Auckland-based junior driver has seven drives on the eight-race programme. All look set to be well supported, headlined by hot favourite Twista in the Osborne Group Chartered Accountant Wairarapa Cup (6.47pm). “It’s a great book of drives … I’d say Twista is the best of mine.” His last start was a 10th in the Thames Country Cup at Cambridge nearly a month ago. “This is a big drop back and he…
Interesting scenarios at play this Friday night at Alexandra Park
By Michael Guerin If some of the biggest names heading to Alexandra Park on Friday are going to win they are going to need to do it the hard way. Because plenty of the favourites face either handicaps or tricky draws in the five richest races as things start to hot up in northern harness. Friday hosts two Group 1s, one each for the female trotters and pacers and both 2200m mobiles have seen early favourites cop second line draws. The $100,000 Woodlands Stud Queen of Hearts will see impressive…
Gutsell with key runners at Wingatui on Sunday
By Jonny Turner There’s one factor punters don’t have to worry about leading into Wingatui’s Christmas on the grass meeting on Sunday. The grass track prowess of Ricky Gutsell’s brother and sister act of Hacksaw Ridge, Still Rockin, Insarchatwist and Baltic Star simply cannot be questioned. The quartet can be unofficially labelled southern harness racing’s first family of grass track harness racing and they have the stats to back it up. Few horses will step out at Wingatui on Sunday with the record Insarchatwist has at the long-standing thoroughbred venue.…
Butt with leading chances in Geraldine Cups
By Mike Love Woodend Beach trainer Bob Butt takes a strong team of four to the Geraldine meeting at Orari racecourse today, looking to keep his successful weekend going after Donna’s Boy produced an impressive effort to win at Addington last night. Leading the charge at Orari today is The Lazarus Effect ($1.60FF) who lines up in the Placemakers Timaru/Twizel/Oamaru Geraldine Cup for $25,000 over the 2850m stand. The four-year-old Lazarus gelding has won seven from just 11 starts plus three placings including his last start when he took lengths…
Start 100 for I Dream Of Jeannie at Geraldine on Saturday
By Dave Di Somma, Harness News Desk As she approaches the end of her racing career, I Dream Of Jeannie could mark her 100th start in style when racing returns to Geraldine in South Canterbury. Saturday will mark the 75th anniversary of the first meeting held by the club at the Orari track. I Dream Of Jeannie will be a leading contender in the day’s feature trot at Orari, the Fresh Choice Geraldine Trotters Cup (4.34pm). In her last start the Robert and Jenna Dunn-trained eight-year-old produced a huge finish…
Robinson-Teaz combo with two runners at Cambridge tonight
By Jordyn Bublitz John Robinson arrives at Cambridge Raceway tonight with two strong opportunities to remind racegoers he’s still very much got the touch. With a driving career that stretches back to 1979 and a lifetime spent working with horses around his goat-farming day job, Robinson brings both experience and calm to a pair of promising Jason Teaz-trained trotters. Robinson first hopped in the sulky on race day more than four decades ago, getting involved in the game through his father. Although horses have always been part of his life,…