Category: Punting

News Briefs : September 24

NZHarnessNews

Two health updates, Nathan Purdon’s 20th Group 1, the return of qualifying trials at Addington, and Dex’s $1m win all feature in this week’s News Briefs. O’Reilly back at work Sarah O’Reilly has been given the all clear to return to work. The Ashburton based trainer-driver has had a long and frustrating time on the sidelines since breaking her arm in July 2024. She was injured when a horse “jumped” into her cart. Since being given the all-clear by medical specialists she’s returned to light duties at his employers Tim…

Paris Prince moves closer to Dominion Trot start

NZHarnessNews

Up 10 places in a week, Paris Prince is now in contention to make the Renwick Farms Dominion Trot field at Addington Raceway on Tuesday, November 11. The Fred Fletcher-trained Paris Prince has gone from 28th to 18th in this week’s rankings, just three places outside the cut-off. His promotion comes on the back of his game second to the super impressive Oscar Bonavena in the Group 3 Elite Stride D G Jones Memorial Banks Peninsula Trotting Cup at Motukarara. Paris Prince, a Royal Aspirations seven-year-old, is the winner of 10 races and…

Carlas Pixel up for sale on gavelhouse

NZHarnessNews

For the second time in three years top class broodmare Carlas Pixel is on the market. By Courage Under Fire out of Pixie Perfect, the now 11-year-old mare is up for sale on gavelhouse.com. The auction closes tomorrow with current bidding at $30,000. As a racing proposition the royally-bred Carlas Pixel won 19 races and nearly $500,000 in stakes, with a lifetime best of 1:49.5. Her first foal sold for $270,000. She is currently in foal to Captaintreacherous.  In 2023 she was offered up on gavelhouse.com and bought by John…

Plans firm for Leap To Fame’s NZ Cup campaign

NZHarnessNews

By Adam Hamilton  Leap To Fame will launch his campaign aimed at the $1m IRT New Zealand Trotting Cup with an Albion Park trial on Thursday. In an exciting twist, trainer-driver Grant Dixon is seriously considering heading across the Tasman earlier than expected. “There’s a good chance we’ll fly to NZ straight out of Melbourne, rather than go back home and then get a flight to Auckland from Sydney,” Dixon said. “If we can go straight from Melbourne, it would make sense and save us a lot of other travel.”…

Big bangers return to action at Addington this Friday

NZHarnessNews

By Michael Guerin The boys are back in town on Friday night but they had better feel like a fight. Because both Marketplace and Republican Party face mammoth tasks in their Addington comeback races. The two sons of Bettor’s Delight are both special in their own way: Republican Party the equine little engine who could while Marketplace might be pacing’s next big thing. To deserve that title he is going to need to clean up most of the elite three-year-old races in the second half of the season, which is…

“Tracy” jetting to New Zealand for THE ASCENT

NZHarnessNews

By Adam Hamilton Top Aussie trainer Jess Tubbs is looking forward to unexpectedly early return to New Zealand. It will be an emotional return for Tubbs, who will do it alone this year, instead of sharing the load with her husband Greg Sugars, who tragically died in his sleep in April. Together they had one of their biggest thrills in the game when former champion trotter Just Believe won the Group 1 Dominion at Addington last November. They campaigned former Auckland Cup winner Better Eclipse and then three-year-old Hes From…

Youngster stars on week three of Blue September fund-raiser

NZHarnessNews

In his first year as a Blue September ambassador, Harrison Orange has been a standout performer during week three of the campaign. The 18-year-old secured a win at Cambridge on Thursday night (Conrad H), two at Auckland on Friday night (Two Jules and Sooner The Bettor) and then a fourth win in as many days with his victory in the Junior Drivers’ race at Motukarara yesterday (Scarlett’s Legacy). He has now five for the month making him fourth overall of the 11 ambassadors/drivers involved. Father Blair Orange, the country’s leading…

Second Banks Peninsula Cup for Oscar Bonavena

NZHarnessNews

By Mike Love  Millionaire trotter Oscar Bonavena has firmed in favouritism for the Renwick Farms Dominion Trot following his jaw-dropping win at Motukarara yesterday. After starting off the back mark of 30 metres, driver and co-trainer Mark Purdon had no option but to bide his time in the Group 3 Elite Stride DG Jones Memorial Banks Peninsula Trotting Cup. It wasn’t until the 450-metre mark that Purdon angled the Majestic Son eight-year-old to the very outside. He then produced a devastating turn of foot to  move his opposition down, winning…

Owner and Breeder winners for August

NZHarnessNews

Every month HRNZ has a breeder and owner of the month award. It is selected randomly with the only proviso being that their horse must have won a race during the month. Lynne Paterson was awarded Owner of the Month after Confessional’s win at Addington on August 22 while Vin Devery was named Breeder of the Month following Share A Dream’s success at Winton on August 3. Owner of the Month – Lynne Paterson Lynne Paterson had the perfect excuse not to see Confessional’s win at Addington in the flesh…