By Jonny Turner On current form, Nathan Williamson appeared to have an excruciating call to make ahead of the Group 2 Macca Lodge–Nevele R Stud Southern Oaks on Diamonds Day at Ascot Park on Sunday. Williamson opted for the tried and true in Captains Mistress, who will clash with her exciting and unbeaten stablemate Utah Jazz in Southland’s premier event for three-year-old fillies. Now that it has been made, the trainer-driver won’t lose any sleep if it turns out to be the wrong one. “Obviously training both of them and…
Category: Punting
Republican Party and Marketplace shine in huge Group 1 night at Alexandra Park
By Michael Guerin The marker pegs were paved with pacing gold in the Group 1s at Alexandra Park on Friday night. But even for the biggest winners on the star-studded night could be excused for feelings of “what if” after all was said and done. The three big ones for the hoppled heroes were taken out by Republican Party in the Dawson Harford Messenger, Marketplace in the Woodlands Derby and Arafura in the Pascoes the Jewellers Northern Oaks. All were on the marker pegs throughout, as were the two trotting…
Mighty Logan lives up to name in Anzac Cup
By Michael Guerin Mighty Logan succeeded where so many others have failed when leading throughout in the $100,000 Fisken And Son Anzac Cup at Alexandra Park on Friday. The Dominion runner-up from last November landed some big bets when he was able to take the Group 1 in what was his first start at Alexandra Park. Some great trotters have come to Alexandra Park and been tripped up by their first right handed start but not Mighty Logan, with driver John Dunn saying it was a team stable effort to…
Mandala gets Williams off to winning start
By Jonny Turner Tim Williams made the perfect start to his racing week; now he just hopes his form can continue. Williams and his Stonewall Stud team got Thursday’s Diamonds Day warm-up at Ascot Park underway by producing Mandala for an overdue victory. The stars aligned for the three-year-old, which is hopefully a sign of things to come for the Steve and Amanda Telfer camp when the feature races are up for grabs at Sunday’s Diamonds Day meeting. “It was three years in the making, but she found the perfect…
Who’s Delight and Dalton Shard carry Diamond Racing’s hopes at Addington
By Michael Guerin It is hard to believe it has almost been a year since Who’s Delight won a race but that could change at Addington tonight. The rugged pacer has been one of our bravest intermediate and even top grade performers since he last visited the winner’s circle last May but looks to be in the right race at today’s day meeting which dovetails into the massive card at Alexandra Park tonight or the Warriors’ clash with Newcastle if you live in Christchurch and are doing the local Anzac…
Dalgety on fast track to Group 1 glory tonight
By Michael Guerin Young driving star Carter Dalgety doesn’t believe in taking short cuts but he is willing to make an exception if it helps him land a couple of Group 1s at Alexandra Park tonight. Dalgety is leading the charge for the army of talented youngsters in harness racing, up for any challenge with a smile on his face. A talented First 15 rugby player when he was at school he started his own fashion line while still at university, drove a couple of Group 1 winners and then…
ANZAC Rugby League and Racing night at Addington
It will be an ANZAC day with a difference at Addington. In what is the first collaboration between the One NZ Warriors, Harness Racing New Zealand and Addington Raceway a special ANZAC League and Racing Night will be held. The collaboration was announced in March. A 10 race programme will get underway at 2.55 pm on Friday with the final race at 7.12pm giving league fans plenty of time to head across the road to Apollo Projects Stadium to see the One NZ Warriors take on the Newcastle Knights, with…
Aaron White goes race-to-race at Alexandra Park
With five Group 1s it’s a big night of racing at Alexandra Park on Friday night. Here are commentator Aaron White’s thoughts on the night, courtesy of trackside.co.nz Race 1 – 5:14pm. $25,000 CLASSIQUE LANDSCAPERS MOBILE PACE 2200m 2 Hooray Henry, 11 Cos I Can, 10 Seaclusion, 8 The Surfer We haven’t seen Hooray Henry on the track for 91 days. He does have the “big” scalp of Copy That on his CV. Drawn to be prominent and can give some cheek at nice odds. Cos I Can is…
Recent recruit among Stratford’s chances at Invercargill today
By Jonny Turner Tony Stratford’s new recruits are clearly thriving in Southland. Now the Gore trainer is hoping that translates to winning race day form at Ascot Park on Thursday. Stratford is taking three runners to the Diamonds Day warm-up meeting, including a new addition to his stable in La Dama. The six-year-old joined Stratford’s barn after producing ordinary form in Canterbury and Manawatu recently, but that looks set to change after two nice workout wins in Southland. “I am not sure why she is so badly out of form,”…
Marketplace “improved” for this Friday’s Northern derby at Alexandra Park
By Michael Guerin Punters taking the short odds about star three-year-old Marketplace can expect the best version of him in the $200,000 Woodlands Northern Derby on Friday night. That is the opinion of trainer Regan Todd as he prepares the $1.55 favourite for the first Group 1 of his season. Nobody doubts Marketplace is our best three-year-old pacer but he has been beaten in two of his last three starts, both times when storming home after the winner put too much of a break on him. The latest was at…