Category: Punting

By Adam Hamilton  History says Kiwi fans should be glued to tonight’s Great Southern Star at Melton in Victoria. In the two runnings of the $600,000 Trot Slot at Cambridge, the Great Southern Star has proven the defining form line. And this year looks no different. In 2024 the great Just Believe beat Callmethebreeze, Queen Elida and Arcee Phoenix. Just a couple of months earlier in the Great Southern Star, it was Callmethebreeze beating Just Believe with Arcee Phoenix fifth and Queen Elida seventh. Last year, it was another Aussie,…

By Jonny Turner  Great memories are sure to come flooding back if The Big Lebowski can continue his brilliant form in the Gore Town and Country Club Summer Cup on Sunday. The big-striding pacer will be out to seal a hat-trick of cup race victories after taking out the recent Riverton and Waikouaiti Cups for trainer Brett Gray. Gore’s Summer Cup is part of a bumper race day which celebrates the Gore Harness Racing Club reaching its 125th year. The Big Lebowski was bred and developed in Eastern Southland by…

By Michael Guerin Talented driver Josh Dickie is hoping the next phase of his career can start with a win at Alexandra Park tonight. Dickie partners last-start winner Father Barry for his father John in the opening race tonight, the $15,000 Classique Landscapers Metro heat and punters can expect to see him doing far more driving for the family and outside stables in the future. Dickie and fiancée Sammy Kilgour have gone out on their own account after two years working for premiership trainers Steve and Amanda Telfer, that stint…

By Michael Guerin Talented driver Josh Dickie is hoping the next phase of his career can start with a win at Alexandra Park tonight. Dickie partners last-start winner Father Barry for his father John in the opening race tonight, the $15,000 Classique Landscapers Metro heat and punters can expect to see him doing far more driving for the family and outside stables in the future. Dickie and fiancée Sammy Kilgour have gone out on their own account after two years working for premiership trainers Steve and Amanda Telfer, that stint…

By Michael Guerin A surprise driving decision will see two new combinations at the top of the market in tonight’s $100,000 Fahey Fence Hire Breeders Stakes (8.05pm) at Addington. Champion horseman Blair Orange produced a stunning drive to get General Jen home from five back on the markers in the Garrards Mares Championship two weeks ago, the lead-up race to tonight’s Group 1. But Orange sprung a surprise when he opted to partner General Jen’s stablemate Arafura tonight even though she has drawn the second line and not raced for…

By Jordyn Bublitz  Crystal Hackett couldn’t have asked for a much better start to Palmerston North’s two-day harness racing meeting, and she heads into today’s second instalment with confidence and momentum on her side. Hackett had four drives on Tuesday and walked away with two winners (Change Tact and Tinkerbelle) and a third placing (Benson Dude). Today, she reunites with the same four horses and is hopeful they can deliver again. In Race 2, the Outback Trading Mobile Pace (5.24pm), Hackett partners Benson Dude, who faces a tougher assignment from…

By Adam Hamilton Cran Dalgety summed up Republican Party’s Hunter Cup draw the best. “It’s the draw he needed to be a winning chance in such a hot race,” he said. “Drawing the pole is a hell of a bonus. It’s the quickest way home.” Republican Party firmed from $12 to $4.60 after drawing gate one for the $250,000 feature at Melton on Saturday night.  Defending champion Swayzee ($3.60) is next door in gate two, while Leap To Fame ($2.40) has six and NZ Cup hero Kingman ($4.40) is off…

By Jordyn Bublitz  Tracy Cadwallader has two last-start winners heading to Manawatu today as she looks to improve on an already successful start to 2026. Indisposed (Race 1) and The Big Bang (Race 4) will be driven by Michael Hay.  A son of A Rocknroll Dance, Indisposed comes off a solid win at Hawera on January 20.  “I was very happy with the win …. I know he’s a seven-year-old but he’s only just started to come to it now, he’s pulled up from that run great, and he’s come…

By Jonny Turner  Wag Star brings the best form reference to today’s Transport Services Ltd Wairio Cup, now he just has to live up to it. The third placegetter in the recent Group 1 Invercargill Cup will start a hot favourite ($1.80) at Central Southland Raceway on Sunday. The 20m backmarker comes into the Wairio Cup on the back of a very narrow second in the Riverton Cup behind The Big Lebowski. Trainer-driver Craig Ferguson saw both positives and negatives in the performance. “He was travelling like the winner but…

By Mike Love  Canterbury trainer-driver Sam Thornley has several each-way chances at Methven today for the Hororata meeting at Mt Harding racecourse.   Thornley has nine drives in total, six of which are offering each-way odds under $10. The first of those comes in Race 2, the Peter Craig Memorial Trot over 2400m, where Neil William ($5.50FF) lines up for trainer Sam Payne.  “He should be a good chance. He’s shown a bit of ability in his first couple of races. He just got a bit lost in front last…