Top three-year-old pacer to miss feature races

It was perfectly scripted when the season-long harness racing rivalry between Merlin (Art Major) and Don't Stop Dreaming (Bettor's Delight) was played out again today (Dec. 10) at Addington in the $250000 G1 Garrards New Zealand Pacing Derby. The barrier draw dictated the race pattern in today's three year old pacing feature and after Merlin was…

Another outstanding 393-strong harness racing catalogue has been assembled for NZB Standardbred's 2024 National Yearling Sale held at Karaka and Canterbury Agricultural Park next summer. The Sale will commence Sunday 18 February in Auckland and run across two days on Tuesday 20 February and Wednesday 21 February in Christchurch. The condensed…

New Zealand's biggest harness racing day has concluded on a glorious spring day at Addington Raceway in Christchurch. 12 races, three Group Ones, two Group Three's and over $1.3 million in stakes! Some unbelievable races with some fantastic performances from several of the winners. See all the post race reviews and race replays from throughout 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,…

Punters now know what trainer Mark Purdon has suspected for a while: New Zealand's best pacer Akuta has gone to another level. The four-year-old pacer is into $1.80 to win the IRT New Zealand Cup at Addington on November 14 after smashing his rivals in the Flying Stakes at Ashburton yesterday. Akuta settled last and was then sent on a mid-race move…

Matty was the man, banking two Harness Million titles on a huge night of thrilling harness racing at Addington on Friday night. Matthew White enjoyed one of his biggest nights in the sport when he reined home highly impressive Harness Million winners, Coastal Babe and Paramount Kiwi. The Northern horseman took no chances with either, sending…

One plane and a heap of favourable barrier draws have combined to give northern harness racing one of its strongest Addington assaults in years on Friday night. While much of the focus of the racing world will be on the Group 1 thoroughbred meeting at Hastings and the mega-money up for grabs at The Everest in Sydney, for sheer horse quality Friday…

Merlin wins Harness Million night. Photo / Alex Park One of the potentially great rivalries of New Zealand harness racing in coming seasons is back on ice before it really got going again. Two-time Harness Million and Great Northern Derby winner Merlin has been sidelined with a hoof abscess and will miss Friday night's $150000 Group 1 Sires' Stakes…

Harness racing trainer Nathan Purdon has thrown down the gauntlet to other horses running in the $55000 Group Two Diamond Creek Farm Classic on Diamonds Day at Ascot Park this Sunday (Apr. 23). "I'm pretty happy with both our horses, they're at peak fitness now and have developed into racehorses," said Nathan Purdon who trains in partnership with…

Don't be fooled by the small margin Merlin scaped home by in Friday night's $135000 Woodlands Derby. Because driver Zachary Butcher is adamant the quality colt could have won the classic by a lot more had he wanted. "That is just him, he doesn't like running away from horses and just switches off," said Butcher after his first win in the great…

New Zealand's unluckiest barrier draw horse had to secure a good draw one day and Merlin has found the perfect race to finally get some luck. That luck makes him the horse to beat in tonight's $135000 Northern Derby at Alexandra Park. The Derby is the highlight of Auckland's biggest harness racing meeting in months, with four other group races,…

New Zealand's unluckiest barrier draw horse had to secure a good gate one day and Merlin has found the perfect race to finally get some luck. This makes him clearly the horse to beat in tonight's $135000 Woodlands Northern Derby at Alexandra Park. The Derby is the highlight of Auckland's biggest harness racing meeting in months, with four other…

The 46th running of the G2 $63000 Cardigan Bay stakes is being held on a bumper night of harness racing at Alexandra Park this Friday night (Mar. 24), serving as the penultimate feature race on the epic ten race programme headlined by the Great Northern Oaks and Derby. As far as supporting races go, the first group race feature for the juvenile…

Northern harness racing trainers Barry Purdon and Scott Phelan have some strong players in the two three year old feature races at Alexandra Park in Auckland tomorrow night (Mar 24). In the $90000 Group One Pascoe The Jewellers Northern Oak, the training partnership will line up Advance Party (Bettor's Delight) who faces the challenge of trying to…

One of New Zealand's training greats thinks his star three-year-olds could play catch-up in the features at Alexandra Park tonight and it could be his brother who inadvertently benefits. Don't be surprised if Mark Purdon wins both features but to see brother Barry's two pacers running on strongly in them. Tonight's meeting sees the best pacing…

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…

Steve Telfer realises he may not claim tonight's $200000 Harness Million with Alta Meteor, but there is nothing surer than he is going to win his share of battles this weekend. The South Auckland trainer, winner of last season's premiership and head of the now Telfer/Cullen stable, has a hand in many of the major fights of the huge harness racing…

While the dominance of New Zealand-bred and sold horses continues to accelerate, a star-studded catalogue of harness racing youngsters is set to go under the hammer next week for NZB Standardbred's 2023 National Yearling Sale in Auckland and Christchurch. Since entering the market in 2019, NZB Standardbred graduates have created a wave of success…

If Akuta is going to justify his $250000 New Zealand Derby favouritism at Addington on Sunday he will need to be better than he was last Friday. Champion trainer Mark Purdon believes he is. The long-time Derby favourite clings to that role despite being beaten by Republican Party at Addington last Friday, when he sat parked, looked to have him…

Amanda and Steve Telfer lead the harness trainers' premiership but no longer have the services of Ben Butcher (left). New Zealand's newest Group1 race meeting this Sunday could end up playing a deciding role in who wins the harness racing trainers' premiership. If that is to be the case, then it may be advantage the All Stars barn of Mark Purdon…

Champion trainer Mark Purdon is confident Akuta can bounce back from being a fatboy failure to the punter's pin up in the $100000 Flying Stakes at Addington tonight. Purdon has his usual dominant hand in the age group features on one of the biggest nights of the harness racing season, albeit with his male juveniles facing a serious northern raider…

Champion harness racing trainer Mark Purdon is confident Akuta (Bettor's Delight) can bounce back from being a failure to the punter's pin up in the $100000 Airpark Canterbury 3YO Flying Stakes at Addington tonight (Oct. 14). Purdon has his usual dominant hand in the age group features on one of the biggest nights of the harness racing season,…

Champion trainer Mark Purdon has two reasons why Akuta will bounce back in the $100000 Flying Stakes at Addington on Friday night. Purdon has his usual dominant hand in the age group features, albeit with his male juveniles facing a northern raider in the unbeaten Merlin in the $200000 feature. But for all the talent on show, including superstar…