By Mike Love West Melton trainers Cran and Chrissie Dalgety will be looking for Group race success at Sunday’s feature Ashburton meeting. The Dalgety team line up three runners at the meeting, consisting of The Queen’s Gambit in the Helen Pope 2YO Fillies Classic Group Three for $40,000, while Fragile and Freeze Frame line up in the $60,000 Group 2 Rakaia Seed Cleaning NZ Sapling Stakes. The Queen’s Gambit ($3.40FF) appeared to run slightly disappointingly in her first look back on South Island soil at Addington two weeks ago after…
Category: Punting
Brittany’s four of the best for King’s Birthday weekend
Presenter-driver-trainer Brittany Graham knows a thing or two about racing on both sides of the Tasman and now that the Queenslander is working for Trackside in this country she’s (reluctantly) agreed to write a weekly column. By Brittany Graham On a stacked King’s Birthday weekend of harness racing, here are four to follow around the grounds. Addington – Friday R8 #4 Tremendous Sensation On a night with quite a few well-backed, odds-on favourites, Tremendous Sensation looks a nice chance at a bit more value. I have really liked this mare’s handful…
Cullens’ two chances in main pace at Addington tonight – “either can win”
By Michael Guerin Hayden Cullen isn’t sure the bookies have got tonight’s feature race market at Addington right. Because the Canterbury trainer and his wife Amanda train both the favourites and he says there is little between the pair. The Cullens prepare Hadron Collider (R7, No.7) and Trump Card (No.2) who dominate the market for the NZBS Weanling Sale June 26 Pace, the $20,000 main race tonight over the 1980m. TAB bookies understandably opened Hadron Collider the $1.80 favourite after his recent second to Sideshow Bruce in the Uncut Gems…
Higher Power v Youneverknow in tonight’s Metro Trotters’ Final
By Michael Guerin Higher Power may not be quite as good as driver Zachary Butcher’s mate but that still might be good enough to win at Alexandra Park tonight. The three-year-old gets barrier 1 in the $35,000 TAB Metro Trotters Final, a race matched by an identical race for the pacers tonight to spice up the last Alexandra Park meeting before winter. Higher Power was too good for the older horses after leading last Friday, once again showing the benefits of Derby and age group performers dropping back into the…
Harrison Orange with winning chances at Cambridge and Auckland
By Jordyn Bublitz Harrison Orange has a big few days ahead of him. He has four drives at Cambridge tonight, four more at Alexandra Park tomorrow and is listed to drive Goorambat Art at Ashburton on Sunday. Depending on how he goes he could book himself a spot in the Australasian Young Drivers’ Championships (AYDC) at Albion Park in July. He rates the Matthew White-trained Mhai Surfer Girl in Race 6, the Dunstan Horsefeeds Mobile Pace at Cambridge tonight (8.01pm) to be his most promising chance. “She’s been racing good…
Telfers look to cap off big week at Timaru
By Mike Love Trainers Steve and Amanda Telfer will be looking to continue their incredible from today at Timaru with three strong chances. This month the Telfers have won 19 of their 56 winners this year , with seven of them coming across Addington and Auckland on Friday night, while bringing up their 400th training success in the process. Success may come in Race 1 today, the Brosnan Transport Passing Lane Mobile Pace over 2050m, when Cheer The Captain ($1.45FF) goes around as the shortest priced favourite on the card.…
The Locomotive faces enormous challenge in Monday’s Elitlopp
By Adam Hamilton The odds are firmly stacked against reigning Inter Dominion champion The Locomotive “doing a Pride Of Petite” in Monday morning’s Elitlopp in Stockholm. The former champion Kiwi mare Pride Of Petite is the only “Down Under” trotter to finish top four in an Elitlopp heat and qualify for the final when she ran sixth in the 1997 final. Most recently, the great Just Believe tried but struck trouble at a crucial stage on the final bend, galloped and lost all chance. The Locomotive will have to overcome…
Vale Jamie Searle
Jamie Searle, a proud Southlander and respected racing journalist, has died in Invercargill after a battle with cancer. Inducted into the NZ Trotting Hall of Fame for his contribution to the history of harness racing, Searle worked for the Southland Times between 1986 and 2022. Of those 34 years he was a racing reporter for 28 of them. He was still writing stories as his health deteriorated in recent weeks and was philosophical about his fate. “Everyone has got to fall off their perch at some time and I’ve really…
Lazarus joins stallion roster at Wai Eyre Farm
By Dave Di Somma, Harness News Desk Dual New Zealand Cup winner and $4m earner Lazarus is on the move. One of the all-time greats, the now 12-year-old superstar turned stallion has been bought by a group of owners including Wai Eyre Farm principal Darryl Brown and will now stand at the stud’s East Eyreton property in North Canterbury. “He’s on farm at the moment,” says Brown, “and he is now totally New Zealand owned,” Previously Lazarus had an international ownership group and stood at Alabar and Nevele R in…
Who wins and why at Addington tonight?
Presenter-driver-trainer Brittany Graham knows a thing or two about racing on both sides of the Tasman and now that the Queenslander is working for Trackside in this country she’s (reluctantly) agreed to write a weekly column. Who wins and why at Addington tonight? By Brittany Graham The final Group 1 for the first half of 2025 will take place at Addington tonight (Friday) in the Welcome Stakes, alongside a pair of competitive open company features as part of a 10-race card, starting at 5.02pm. Race 6 7.34pm – Avon City Ford…