Category: Punting

Day of milestones at Waimate meeting at Timaru

NZHarnessNews

By Mike Love  It was a day of milestones at yesterday’s Waimate meeting held at Phar Lap Raceway in Timaru – Maureen Hutchison secured her first training success, 17-year-old Thomas Borcoskie had his first in the sulky and Robbie Close brought up career win number 600. In Race 2, the Catering South Canterbury Trot over 2100m Waimate training partnership John Lemon and Maureen Hutchison produced Lemon’s first win since 2001 and Hutchison’s first career win with Della’s Fella. Driven by Jonny Cox, Della’s Fella stepped well to lead then trail…

Flying Stakes highlights huge Labour day Monday at Ashburton

NZHarnessNews

By Michael Guerin There could be a race inside a race in the $60,000 NZB Airfreight Flying Stakes at Ashburton. The Group 2 is traditionally the most important lead-up to the IRT New Zealand Cup at Addington on November 11, although this season comes with the major side plot of which Australians will turn up to challenge the locals come Cup Day. Leap To Fame’s tilt at the Cup looks back on track after his win at Melton on Saturday night with his trainer Grant Dixon says he is likely…

Could today be the day for Macandrew Aviator at Ascot Park?

NZHarnessNews

By Jonny Turner Punters are banking on Macandrew Aviator ending a drought with victory in the Tuapeka Lodge Cup (4.56pm). The eight-year-old has been installed a $2.50 second favourite, behind Dreams Are Free ($1.90) for the Ascot Park feature after building strong form this spring. The pacer hasn’t been in the winner’s circle for over two years, though he has racked up plenty of placings in strong company in that time. Macandrew Aviator is among a strong book of drives for junior driver Hayden Douglas, who is full of hope…

Jason Teaz eyeing up Harness 5000 with latest Alexandra Park winner

NZHarnessNews

By Michael Guerin Jason Teaz is aiming to end the harness racing season way better than he started it. Actually, the start wasn’t the problem for the Waikato trainer. It was the couple of months after the start that flattened him. Teaz is best known as a commentator but is making quite the name for himself as a trainer, with 15 horses in work and well on the way to his best season ever with Stone Cold bringing up win 13 for the term at Alexandra Park on Friday night.…

Williamson trains winning double with very different trotters at Addington

NZHarnessNews

By Michael Guerin Winning stablemates rarely come from backgrounds as different as the double Phil Williamson trained at Addington early on Friday night. Because juvenile winner Becky’s Girl has been with Williamson since the day she was born while the Oamaru trainer still laughs about the fact he now trains former Aussie pacer He Aint Fakin, who also won as a trotter on Friday night. Williamson and wife Bev, who owns Becky’s Girl, started the meeting on a high as the two-year-old filly led throughout to win the $45,000 Macca…

Aquila wins four in a row at Cambridge

NZHarnessNews

By Jordyn Bublitz  Promising mare Aquila is on a roll, extending her winning streak to four at Cambridge Raceway last night and continuing a memorable run for young Pukekohe trainer Zev Meredith. Owned by Kenny Baynes, Aquila has become a flagbearer for Meredith’s small but growing team. She has now won six from 28.  Last night’s victory came in the World Drivers Champs Thanks Breckon Farms Mob Pace, after Kate Coppins produced a stellar drive.  From a wide draw, Coppins launched the mare early to cross and take up the…

All go for Ascot Park this Sunday

NZHarnessNews

It’s business – just not quite as usual – for Ascot Park in Invercargill this weekend. The Tuapeka Harness Racing Club meeting there on Sunday will go ahead as planned, despite dozens of stalls being destroyed in this week’s high winds in Southland and around the rest of the country. The carnage started on Monday as gale force winds whipped through the raceway and then there was a second wave of damage yesterday. “We’ve lost 60 or 70 stalls in total,” says Southern Harness General Manager Jason Broad. “We now…

Seth Hill gets first drive on The Lazarus Effect

NZHarnessNews

By Michael Guerin Young driver Seth Hill will get a golden opportunity to impress his new boss at Addington tonight. Not that Bob Butt isn’t already impressed. Butt trains The Lazarus Effect, one of the more promising pacers in Canterbury and a $2.50 favourite for the IRT Thanks Bettors Delight Pace at Addington even though he faces a second line draw in the big field. Hill will do the driving for the first time tonight. If The Lazarus Effect wins with the talented junior driver in the cart he only…

Mediator the one to beat in Metro Heats at Alexandra Park tonight

NZHarnessNews

By Michael Guerin Trainer Matty White thinks Mediator is edging closer to being the finished product. And that should be good enough to win at Alexandra Park tonight at a meeting where White has a strong hand. The South Auckland trainer has five of his 23-strong stable racing tonight, with smart horses in Mhai Surfer Girl (R1) and Lord Popinjay (R10) taking on good fields at either end of the programme. But it is Mediator (R7, No.4) who gives White his best chance in the TAB – Northern Metro Pacers…

Ellis with twin hopes in Cambridge trot tonight

NZHarnessNews

By Jordyn Bublitz Taranaki horseman Brodie Ellis may not have a barn full of Group 1 stars, but he represents the beating heart of New Zealand harness racing – the grassroots participants who keep the industry alive.  Tonight at Cambridge Raceway, the dedicated trainer lines up two of his stable favourites, Cool Phelan and Ordained, both stepping out fresh from a spell in the Join Us For Xmas At Cambridge Raceway Trot (6.28pm). Racing has always been in Ellis’s blood. He was introduced to the sport by a stalwart of…