Queen ready to peak

Two Hastings men, Lester Drake and Neville Jackson, have been living the dream as part-owners of Australia's latest pacing sensation, Swayzee, and now they can't wait to see their charge line up in the $750000New Zealand Cup at Addington on November 14. The pair are part of a quartet of owners in the 6-year-old superstar, the others being the…

Sooner the Bettor wins the Sires Stakes Sophomore Classic with Tony Herlihy aboard for trainer Barry Purdon. Yesterday's Ashburton meeting was one of the strongest harness racing programmes of the season and the best form guide to New Zealand Cup week. Here is what unfolded in the other features outside of the two open class races: Race 4,…

Champion trainer Gai Waterhouse is looking to impact this upcoming Spring Carnival with co-trainer Adrian Bott after coming off their best season together since their partnership commenced in 2016. In the 2022/23 season, they trained 160 winners, including four Group 1s. They won an incredible 37 two-year-old races headlined by the Gimcrack Stakes…

The All Stars harness racing stables are preparing a strong team for spring racing. Harnesslink's Bruce Stewart talked to Nathan Purdon about some of their top liners as we head to the sharp end of the season. Vessem (Vincent) 3-3-0-0 $63250.00 Last raced at Invercargill on 23 April winning the G2 Diamond Creek Farm Two Year Old Classic. "He looks…

Quality harness racing filly Advance Party (Bettor's Delight) will remain at the stable of John and Katrina Price and target the better three year old fillies races from her Winton base. "She came back here after she went awful in her last race (8 in the Northern Oaks). Barry (Purdon) felt that her early runs had got to the bottom of her," John…

Andy Gath has changed his plans for Catch A Wave. Picture: Stuart McCormick A change of plans for Miracle Mile winner Catch A Wave has created a stellar card at Melton on Saturday night. Andy Gath's stable star will now join fellow TAB Eureka contender The Lost Storm in action at Melton and their races will be run early - race two and three…

Brilliant three-year-old Naturally Gifted (Sweet Lou) has been sold to USA harness racing interests for a six-figure sum - but will continue to do his racing in Australia for the time being. Naturally Gifted continues the affinity of exuberant eastern States owner Richard Poillucci with Down Under bloodstock and has been transferred to the Jack…

New Zealand harness racing's Group 1 drought in Sydney has moved a little closer to ending after Alta Meteor drew perfectly for the $200000 NSW Derby at Menangle on Saturday. The South Auckland pacer won his heat of the Derby at Menangle last Saturday and will start from barrier two in a very open classic over the punishing 2400m on the giant track…

New Zealand harness racing's Group1 drought in Sydney has moved a little closer to ending after Alta Meteor drew perfectly for the A$200000 NSW Derby at Menangle on Saturday. The South Auckland pacer won his heat of the Derby at Menangle last Saturday and will start from barrier two in a very open classic over the punishing 2400m mobile on the…

Catch A Wave beats Captain Ravishing in the Chariots Of Fire at Menangle. Picture: Club Menangle Boom pacer Captain Ravishing will have to overcome a horror barrier draw to avenge his shock Chariots Of Fire defeat in Saturday night's $1m Miracle Mile. The explosive four-year-old, who was surprisingly rundown by Catch A Wave after leading in the…

Historians have some work to do after champion harness racing trainers Emma Stewart and Clayton Tonkin snared half the field in the Miracle Mile. Mach Dan (Mach Three), Captain Ravishing (Captaintreacherous), Honolua Bay (Somebeachsomewhere) and Hurricane Harley (Bettor's Delight) will all fly the flag in next Saturday night's (Mar. 4) $1 million,…

A Victorian and a Kiwi stole the show in Saturday night's harness racing heats of the NSW Oaks. Yet Kahlua Flybye (Bettor's Delight) and Soho Seraphine (Betting Line) may need to step it up another notch if they hope to win Saturday night's $200000 John Gibson Memorial NSW Oaks final at Tabcorp Park Menangle. Kahlua Flybye could scarcely have been…

Champion Kiwi mare Stylish Memphis will have to do a "Think Big" to complete a three-peat in Australasia's biggest mares race at Menangle on Saturday night. Think Big famously completed back-to-back Melbourne Cup wins in 1974-75, but didn't win a race in between victories. Stylish Memphis has gone winless in 12 starts since she won the Group 1…

Braeview Kelly (Bettor's Delight) qualified for her next Group One harness racing target in the best possible style at Menangle on Saturday night (Feb. 11). The NZB Standardbred graduate booked her ticket into next week's A$200000 Group One Queen Elizabeth II Mile (1609m) with a brilliant victory in the A$50000 Group Three Sibelia Stakes…

West Otago's Arden Lodge is keen to put the last harness racing breeding season behind them. "We had a bad year. We had seven foals that didn't make it for seven different reasons. You definitely get some highs and lows in this business, and you just have to learn to ride out the lows," said John Stiven. As a result of the challenges, Arden Lodge…

He's a laid-back Kiwi harness racing horseman. Yet mention the name of class New Zealand mare Stylish Memphis (Bettor's Delight) and you can't wipe the smile off trainer-drive Jack Trainor's face. That grin was even broader than usual this week when Trainor learned that the two-time Ladyship Mile winner and NSW Oaks winner could be heading back to…

It's always good when your best winning chance on the day is in the feature race and that's the mindset of trainer Michael Mulholland as he heads to Warren on Sunday. He has two chances in the Cotton Cup (1600m) with Eva's Deel leading the way. The six-year-old mare enters the race third-up off two eye catching seconds over 1400m and 1500m when…

Breeding authority Peter Wharton presents all the harness racing news on breeding from Australia, New Zealand and North America every week brought to you by Garrard's Horse & Hound. The current light harness season is proving a vintage year for three-year-old pacers on both sides of the Tasman. Republican Party (Bettor's Delight) set a fresh record…

This season appears to be throwing up a very even crop of three year old harness racing fillies. And qualifying points are up for grabs tonight at Addington, in Heat Five of the Nevele R Fillies Series. Rolleston trainers Mark Purdon and Hayden Cullen have a strong hand in the feature, gearing up A Bettor You, Queen Of Diamonds and Chambray. A…

Kiwi harness racing star Copy That (American Ideal) will have a lovely trailing draw if he makes it to Saturday night's Group 1 Victoria Cup. Ray Green's NZ Cup winner drew gate eight, following out second-favourite Better Eclipse (gate one) at last night's barrier draw. We won't know until Green has Copy That scoped on Thursday whether the…

Champion harness racing horseman Luke McCarthy insists former Kiwi pacer Cantfindabettorman (Sweet Lou) is the forgotten horse in the build-up to this stellar Victoria Derby. All the talk is about Catch A Wave (Captaintreacherous), Leap To Fame (Bettor's Delight) and now the highly spruiked Captain Ravishing (Captaintreacherous), but McCarthy is…

North Island harness racing heads south of the Bombay Hill's top Cambridge on Thursday night with the promise of some even fields and exciting betting races. And while the Waikato meeting may be void of some of the star power we have seen at Alexandra Park in recent weeks, only one of the eleven races on the programme has an odds-on favourite at…

After being nothing short of spectacular in the Gr.1 Railway (1200m) at Pukekohe on New Year's Day, emerging sprinter Waitak will hunt a Group One double in Saturday's BCD Group Sprint (1400m) at Te Rapa. Lance O'Sullivan and Andrew Scott, who train Waitak out of their Matamata base, tested the gelding over various distances as a three-year-old,…