Category: Punting

By Jordyn Bublitz  A move to the North Island for former southerner Jacob Dunn wasn’t originally the plan. The first year junior driver, and the older of John and Jenna Dunn’s two children, made the trip from Canterbury to help tend to a busy team at Robert and Jenna Dunn’s Pukekohe barn before deciding to make the move permanent. “I got a good opportunity to get a few drives so that was the main reason for the move,” Dunn said. “I’ve been up here since the start of March when…

By Adam Hamilton  New Zealand’s hopes of winning next month’s Inter Dominion trotting series in Brisbane have soared with two star Aussies set to miss the series. Boom four-year-old mare Keayang Zahara, who is well known to Kiwis, and the gifted Susan Is Her Name both won’t be at Albion Park.  Susan Is Her Name, who ended Keayang Zahara’s 15-race winning streak at Menangle last month, has been sidelined with a leg injury while Keayang Zahara’s connections haven’t made a final call, co-trainer Paddy Lee today said he “presumed she…

The TAB advises that markets for this week’s harness racing meetings around the country will be out slightly later than usual  due to King’s Birthday weekend. Most fields won’t be out till later, with the odds for Cambridge’s Thursday meeting released tomorrow (Wednesday) at midday. The markets for Friday’s double-header at Addington and Auckland will be available from 9am Thursday  with Addington’s Sunday markets due out at 6pm on Thursday. For more information contact matthew.peden@hrnz.co.nz

By Adam Hamilton  New Zealand fans should be excited about Leap To Fame’s surprise next assignment at Albion Park on Saturday night. Trainer-driver Grant Dixon turned heads when he opted to run his champion pacer from a 30m handicap in a standing-start 2138m race this week. He admitted a longer term vision for November’s IRT NZ Trotting Cup was part of the reason for it. It will be just the second time in Leap To Fame’s 65-start career he has raced from a stand. The other was a win from…

By Adam Hamilton  Luke McCarthy has urged fans not to judge Don Hugo too harshly for his disappointing Cambridge display. The champion horseman explained Don Hugo was found to have a virus after his tiring fourth to Leap To Fame in the $1mil Race by betcha at Cambridge on April 4. A subsequent Perth trip was aborted and Don Hugo had a short spell. “Leap To Fame was just amazing that night, he was too good. I’m not taking anything away from him, but I know we didn’t have the…

By Adam Hamilton  Rowe Cup winner Bet N Win won’t race in New Zealand before his “trip of redemption” to Queensland. Instead, co-trainer Stacey White said the five-year-old’s lone lead-up race would be in a 2300m trotting free-for-all at Menangle on June 21. “It’s the best option. The only race here was in Auckland and he’d have been off at least 30m,” she said. “He’s booked a flight to Sydney on June 17 and running on the 21st (of June) fits well before he heads up to Brisbane. “I think…

By Jonny Turner  Brett Gray’s form only needs to continue at Ascot Park on King’s Birthday. The trainer has enjoyed an outstanding past month, with his results headed by the unbeaten Miki’s Deal and his smart trotting mare, Julie Jaccka. It’s a brother-and-sister act that’s among the best of Gray’s Invercargill chances. Little brother Jaccka Henry and big sister Haley Jaccka both look like serious winning threats. Though Haley has proven form on the board, it is Henry who gets the nod as the Gray stable’s biggest chance. “Neither have…