Changes to 2YO Bonus Scheme

Some important amendments have been made to the Entain 2YO Bonus Scheme for 2025. The Terms and Conditions have been agreed to after a comprehensive review following the opening 12 months of the scheme. Effective immediately, all 2YO Pacers and Trotters winning their maiden race (in a 2YO only race) will continue to win a $12,000 bonus for their connections – $8000 to the owner, $4000 for the breeder. The big change is that the $6000 bonus paid out for either running second to a previous bonus winner or being…

Transport now available for both Motukarara and Alexandra Park

Harness Racing New Zealand and Next Gen have arranged a special bus service for visitors attending the NZB National Standardbred Yearling Sales to get to and back from Sunday’s Banks Peninsula Trotting Club meeting at Motukarara. The sales start at Karaka in Auckland this Saturday (February 15) and then move to Christchurch on Tuesday (February 18). The schedule on Sunday is : Christchurch pick ups at : 10:20 AM – Commodore Hotel10:35 AM – Chateau on the Park10:40 AM – Depart for Motukarara Raceway Return Trip: 5:45 PM – Depart Motukarara,…

Chalmers finds formula for Sharma Trouble

By Mike Love  Regular beach training has been one of the keys to turning around Sharma Trouble , the winner of the Rakaia Seed Cleaning Trot at Methven yesterday. Trained by Nigel Chalmers at Waikouaiti trainer Nigel Chalmers, it was the six-year-old Superfast Stuart gelding’s first win nine starts.  “It looked like he jogged that. I think the penny may have dropped with him, I think he’s quite promising.” said Chalmers.   Sharma Trouble, driven by Sam Thornley, began quickly to lead early before settling three back the markers. The…

Shepherd’s Delight goes wire to wire in Wairio Cup

By Jonny Turner  Craig Ferguson was taking none of the credit after his perfectly judged front-running drive helped Shepherd’s Delight win yesterday’s Otautau Four Square Wairio Cup. The pacer was in front from the second the standing start tapes were released in the Winton feature, with Ferguson judging the pace to perfection behind the Ivan Court trained five-year-old. Though he clearly got his mid-race calculations spot on, Ferguson was quick to hand the credit for the win to Court. The Canterbury trainer is known for producing brilliant standing start horses,…

Team Purdon excel on Cranbourne’s big night

By Adam Hamilton  It’s been a fantastic Cranbourne Cup meeting in Victoria for Mark and Nathan Purdon. Last night Don’t Stop Dreaming built on a luckless but good Hunter Cup run to finish a tremendous second to Leap To Fame in the $100,000 Group 2 Cranbourne Cup while Oscar Bonavena made a lie of his Great Southern Star final flop with a stunning Group 1 win in the $60,000 Bruce Skeggs Trotters’ Cup. Don’t Stop Dreaming’s effort to settle near last and circle the field to sit parked was up…

Wild Willow heavily favoured in Hororata Cup

By Mike Love  Wild Willow will run a short priced favourite ($2.45 FF) in today’s Garrards Horse and Hound Hororata Cup over 3000m at Methven. The five-year-old Art Major gelding has won five from 10 starts in his career to date and Rakaia trainer Warren Stapleton believes he will be hard to beat again.  “If he goes anywhere near as good as he did on the second day at Blenheim, after doing all of that work early, he’s got to be hard to beat,” said Stapleton. “He’s a big strong…

Built For Glory the one to beat in Wairio Cup

By Jonny Turner  Built For Glory will return to his happy place on Sunday to chase down an Otautau Four Square Wairio Cup victory. The four-year-old comes into the Winton feature unbeaten south of the Waitaki River, with five starts for five wins to his name. While there is no doubting the Steve and Amanda Telfer trained pacer’s class as he prepares for another Southland raid, there are doubts over his standing start manners. Built For Glory has faced the standing start tapes once in his short career, missing away…

Next Gen – the countdown is on

It’s only a week to the NZB Standardbred Yearling Sales and HRNZ is here to answer any of your queries. The Sales will kick off at Karaka in Auckland on Saturday, February 15 and then move to Christchurch for a day’s selling on Tuesday, February 18. In all there will be around 340 yearlings up for sale, including 70 from Next Gen sires. The Next Gen – Own The Thrill concept is brand new in 2025. Complete with $600,000 in bonuses, it is a new ownership model devised by HRNZ…

Strangles Cases Detected: Important Information for Horse Owners

Horse owners are urged to stay alert following the recent detection of Strangles cases in the South Island. While these cases are not linked to the racing community, Strangles is a highly contagious bacterial disease, and vigilance is key to protecting equine health. We encourage all horse owners to take proactive biosecurity measures, monitor their horses for any signs of illness, and follow best practices to prevent the spread of infection. Early detection and responsible management are crucial in keeping our equine communities safe. What is Strangles? Strangles is a…

Butcher heading to trials as recovery continues

By Dave Di Somma, Harness News Desk Cambridge-based trainer-driver Benjamin Butcher will take the next step in his recovery with a drive at the trials next week. The 29-year-old has not driven in a competitive race since a crash at Alexandra Park last August when he broke his shoulder and suffered a serious concussion. “I’ve had a lot of advice about head injuries and I am certainly not rushing anything,” says Butcher. “I’ll go the trials next week and then see how I’m feeling after that.” At one stage the…