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…
Category: Punting
Manners key for Pantani in Metro Heat tonight
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…
Outsider continues golden run for Kimberly Butt
What a week it’s been for Kimberly Butt. Just days after a winning double at Motukarara she reined home a $100 outsider at Addington last night. “It’s been a good few days,” says Butt, “I was pleasantly surprised by Shades of Robyn that’s for sure.” Last night in the Captain Crunch At Alabar Mobile Pace Butt secured the one-one with the Trevor Cross-trained Shades Of Robyn before overhauling second favourite Tuppence late in the piece to win by a head. The five-year-old gelding was having his sixth start after five…
Jacob Dunn with three good chances at Cambridge tonight
By Jordyn Bublitz It’s shaping up to be a big night at Cambridge Raceway for up and coming northern junior driver Jacob Dunn, who lines up behind three promising runners. Each of the trio looks a genuine shot at the winner’s circle, starting with Kiss And Run for Cambridge locals Dylan and Jo Ferguson. The five-year-old mare fronts up in the Garrards Horse And Hound Handicap Trot (6.20pm) after a solid fourth at Alexandra Park last week, following a brief freshen-up. That run came in much stronger company, and Dunn…
Walkinonsunshine in “great spot” for today’s Group 3 at Invercargill
By Jonny Turner The racebook may read the same, but Tom Bagrie is sure he is returning with a better horse for the second running of the Group 3 The Dark Horse at Invercargill today. With the Southern Trotting Oaks already on her résumé, Walkinonsunshine heads south in the hope she can bag another Ascot Park trotting feature. The four-year-old’s first attempt at the newly minted mares’ event was something of a non-event when she settled last in a leader-dominated affair. Walkinonsunshine not only returns a little bit older for…
Who will win the 100th Kaikoura Cup?
The Kaikoura Cup will celebrate its 100th running this year. Over the next few weeks Kaikoura Trotting Club historian Phil Gourdie will look back at the history of the great race. This is the second installment – Records are made to be broken! By Phil Gourdie On October 29, 1973 Royal Ascot, breed, owned and trained by Colin McLaughlin and driven by Felix Newfield set a New Zealand record of 3.03, off the 30m mark, for the 2400m stand. The field did not have an answer to the spirited finish…
The ones to watch on Victoria Cup night
By Adam Hamilton Never has there been such broad New Zealand interest in a Victoria Cup meeting. That’s because so many of the stars strutting their stuff at Melton on Saturday night could be headed to Cup Week at Addington. Leading the way is the great Leap To Fame, but there are at least eight other stars for Kiwi fans to watch closely. Here’s my guide to “Kiwi watch” runners on Victoria Cup night. RACE 3 – VICTORIA OAKS (9.30pm) No.4 JOYRIDE: She’s a bit different being the lone Kiwi-trained…
The Box Seat – October 15
Check out this week’s The Box Seat with hosts Matt Cross, Brittany Graham and Greg O’Connor.
Keayang Zahara jumps to seventh in latest rankings
After going through her first New Zealand campaign unbeaten, Australian superstar Keayang Zahara is the biggest mover in this week’s rankings for the Renwick Farms Dominion Trot and the IRT New Zealand Trotting Cup, to be held at Addington Raceway on Tuesday, November 11. The Volstead four-year-old, who famously won her first 15 starts, was super impressive winning the Dullard Cup in Melbourne over the weekend, beating the likes of Inter Dominion and TAB Trot champion Arcee Phoenix in the process. That victory, her 16th in 17 career starts, has…
Sarah O’Reilly heading back to the races
By Dave Di Somma, Harness News Desk After 15 months away one of the country’s brightest talents Sarah O’Reilly will return to competitive driving at Addington on Friday night. “I definitely missed it,” says O’Reilly, “and I am ready and good to go.” The Ashburton-based trainer-driver has been off the scene since July 2024 when a horse literally jumped into her cart during trackwork, breaking her arm and causing other injuries. Since then the road to recovery has been a long and trying one. Some weeks ago O’Reilly got the…