Harness Racing New Zealand advises that significant rainfall is forecast for Methven over the next 72 hours, including up to 30mm on Saturday, prompting the introduction of a contingency plan for this weekend’s meeting. A track inspection will be conducted at Mt Harding Racecourse, Methven, at 11am on Saturday 4 October. If the track is deemed unsuitable, the meeting will be transferred to Addington Raceway. In that event, race distances will be amended in line with Addington’s approved start points, and Race 8 will be reviewed to meet maximum field…
Category: Punting
Vale Trevor Craddock
Trevor Craddock, one of the great characters of West Coast harness racing, will be farewelled at Westport tomorrow (Friday). The 85-year-old is being remembered as someone who “loved his racing and rugby” and had “a great life”. Based at Patterson Park, Craddock had exactly 100 training wins between 1967 and 2014 with 27 successes as a driver. His first driving and training win was with Wheels at Reefton in 1967. Among his best horses were Clifford Jasper (10 wins), Chiola Reb (10 wins), and Brooksdale Pal, Oregon Heights, Jovial Jan…
Look To Da Stars trying to get back on track at Cambridge tonight
By Jordyn Bublitz Confidence is the key for Look To Da Stars at Cambridge Raceway tonight. The four-year-old son of Andover Hall lines up in the NZMCA Parking At Cambridge Raceway Handicap Trot (7.54pm) for Pukekohe trainers Mark and Nathan Purdon, with in-form reinsman Andre Poutama taking the drive. As a three-year-old, he showed flashes of real ability when tested against some of the better trotters in his crop. “He showed us a bit of promise early, but he hasn’t gone on with it like we thought he would,”…
Douglas poised for big day at Wyndham today
By Jonny Turner Hayden Douglas is hoping to make the most of a rare opportunity at Wyndham on Thursday. Douglas combines with Macandrew Aviator, who will make one of the bigger steps back in grade seen in the south in recent times. The veteran pacer comes into his Wyndham assignment after a strong third behind star pacer Akuta in the Group 3 Hannon Memorial. That looks the best kind of form to bring to his rating 55-75 assignment, made even more attractive by the chance to pick up a penalty-free…
NZ Cup and Dominion Trot contenders in action across the Tasman tonight
By Adam Hamilton The New Zealand Cup Week spotlight is firmly across the ditch this weekend. The two best pacers in this part of the world, Leap To Fame and Swayzee, continue their preparations for the IRT NZ Trotting Cup at Addington Raceway on Tuesday, November 11 with lead-up runs in Queensland and New South Wales tonight. Leap To Fame returns from a spell at Albion Park at 9.14pm, while Swayzee steps out over 2300m at Menangle at 9.50pm. They will then clash in the $250,000 Group 1 Victoria Cup…
Butt trio heading to Addington today
By Dave Di Somma, Harness News Desk It’s been a decade since Chris Butt took three of his own horses to the races, but that’s exactly what he’s doing at Addington today. The Balcairn-based trainer-driver lines up Mister in Race 2, the West Melton BP Supports CSBA and Breeders Trot (5.18pm), Willy Away in Race 3, the Equine PEMF Therapy Mobile Pace (5.49pm) and Lord Mudrick in Race 5, the Breed-Race-Win-Repeat Mobile Pace (6.55pm). “This would be the first time I’ve had three at the races since Australia,” says Butt.…
New Zealand Cup campaign about to kick off for Leap To Fame
By Adam Hamilton The path to the IRT New Zealand Trotting Cup starts on Saturday night for champion Aussie pacer Leap To Fame. The amazing six-year-old returns from a break to face just five rivals in a 2138m free-for-all at Albion Park. It will springboard his quest to add another three Group 1 wins for the remainder of this season to his already bulging CV. The biggest of them is the $1 million IRT NZ Trotting Cup at Addington on November 11. Before then, he will head to Melton to…
Tour Party’s progress impresses Next Gen winner
By Dave Di Somma, Harness News Desk It’s been more than six months since Josh Mantell last saw Tour Party. The change has been obvious. “He’s just so much bigger,” says Mantell. Earlier this year Mantell was the winner of the Harness Racing New Zealand Next Gen “Win a Share in a Race Horse” competition. He entered the competition at the Motukarara races last December. His prize was a 3.5% share in Tour Party, a full brother to multiple Group 1 winner Republican Party. Bred by Price Bloodstock in…
Blair Orange to wear special silks ahead of WDC
The Postman is about to become a billboard for the World Driving Championship (WDC) . New Zealand’s representative for this November’s championship Blair Orange will wear specially made WDC silks in all his races throughout October , starting at Addington on Wednesday. The white silks will not be the ones worn by Orange during the WDC – there he will wear the Silver Fern. Ten of the world’s best drivers will duel it out at Kaikoura, Cambridge, Winton and Addington between November 2-11. It’s the first time New Zealand has…
Merlin rated a $2.20 chance in Friday’s Holmes D G
By Michael Guerin How much difference can 500m make? Well, maybe that question has two parts, the other being how much fitter will Merlin strip for the Holmes D G at Alexandra Park on Friday night after his first-up defeat to stablemate Sooner The Bettor. The pair clashed two weeks ago and Sooner The Bettor found the lead over 2200m in the Spring Cup and never looked like being headed while Merlin remarkably secured the one-one soon from his 20m back mark after the start but could manage only third.…