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Tikki too speedy in Riccarton dash
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Sergeant Major strikes winning blow at Randwick
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Mehzebeen takes Hawke’s Bay Cup
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Finnegan flyer is first-up winner
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Cartwright snares first Saturday winner
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Irish Eyes are smiling at Bendigo
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Low-priced Faultless lands Trentham upset
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We Walk By Faith finds his moment in Taylor Mile
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Big win for Trathen at Addington
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By Murray Fish · Posted
oh the irony! give a transnational a closed shop! meanwhile! the Punters focus there $ on overseas racing and sports events... gee, this must end well!!!! -
I will explain ,in a different way,why i think your thinking is flawed and why those in charge of HRNZ have lost perspective of reality. i actually believe poor decsiion making has already undermined the sport,beyond repair, the poor policies going back many years. The strehgth of harness racing in nz had always been the level of grass root participation far outweighs the level of participation of the big players. in other words,the numbers that the grass roots people contributed to the sport,whether it be as owners,punters,sponsors,breeders,licence holders,everything used to by far far greater than the overall contribution of the high end players. all of those grass root people had many friends ,relatives etc who followed their prograss. But that level of participation has been undermined by many things. things happening outside the industries control have significantly impacted the grass root level numbers,but the problem is ,the decision makers could often have mitigated the damage through better policies,but they haven't. And now we have decision makers prioritising on steroids,the people you say deserve more support than the ever diminshing grass roots level people. where the grass roots level have also failed themselves,is they have been unable to psuh their cause as a collective and therefore the big players voices are the ones always being heard.But hrnz should have recognised that if they were indeed leaders,instead of pandering to the rich and the elite. Thats whats played out. its reality. it hasn't been the wealthy or the millionaires who are leaving the sport has it. you can keep saying they will lose those blokes from the sport if they don't throw more millions there way,i don't believe you. What will lose those millionaires participation is when they see they are in a sport which has lost the public and the grass root number of particpants that he sport once had. if you were a multi millionaire,would you rather win a big race for a lower stake,but with a big public following or would you rather win a big race with a big stake and very few watching or seeing you r achievement. you say its the latter,i say its the former. -
By Wandering Eyes · Posted
By Michael Guerin A remarkable stat for one of harness racing’s most surprising careers could get another boost in the national junior driver’s champs at Addington tonight. The series brings together 12 of our best young drivers for six heats, two at Cambridge last night, two at Addington tonight and the final two at Methven on Sunday. The series was for years casually referred to as “the boys’ champs” because until about 20 years ago most of those competing in it were male. That name clearly doesn’t suit any more as the last seven championships have been won by female drivers, Sarah O’Reilly with a remarkable four as well as Kerryn Tomlinson, Alicia Harrison and last year, Crystal Hackett. One of the six females competing this season is northerner Monika Ranger, who admits she only got into driving “because I had nothing to lose” and has earned the respect of leading northern drivers for the way horses respond to her. After Cambridge last night she has a two point lead heading into tonight’s third and fourth heats at Addington after a win with Melton Mogul and a second placing with Patrick Mahomes. She has 29 points, with closest rival Carter Dalgety on 27. Horses are assigned to drivers by random draw and Ranger has two decent chances in Major Happy (R6, No.5) and Donna’s Boy (R7, No.5) at Addington tonight, the latter a smart trotter for trainer Bob Butt. While Ranger is having a career-best season with 20 wins, she has really excelled partnering trotters, which account for 11 of those victories, which can only be a confidence boost for those considering backing Donna’s Boy tonight. “I love driving trotters, even more than pacers,” says Ranger, whose previous personal best was 16 last term. “It has been a really good season and I am lucky to have a loyal bunch of trainers who put me on so often. “When I started driving I didn’t think it would get to the level it has now, it was more or less because I had nothing to lose. “So I am looking forward to being part of the series again but I might be the boring one. I am 30 now so I might be the Nana of the group,” she laughs. While junior drivers love being part of the series Ranger admits it comes with a little more work. “When I drive up here I tend to know the horses quite well but for something like this series, and this is my third time competing, I will do a bit more video work on the website. “I liked the look of Major Happy, she looks really nice and consistent and Donna’s Boy was really good on Cup Day when he showed good gate speed.” It took a wonderful performance from a race rival tonight in He Aint Fakin (Emily Johnson) to beat Donna’s Boy on Cup Day and the two northern female juniors look set for good points in at least that heat as they try to make it eight straight years that a female wins the series. The series has set up beautifully, completely by fluke, with the random draw of drives seeing a very even spread of talent, with many of those participating being Friday night regulars at one of our two biggest tracks. Both tonight’s heats failed to attract the capacity 12 runners so the drivers who miss out on a drive in any heat get seven points added to their overall tally. While the best version of former pacer He Aint Fakin may well win tonight’s second heat (and fourth overall) for Johnson the pacing heat looks more open, with Ellie Barron on favourite Classie Linc while Wilson House gets his chance to continue a massive season with a good chance drawn the pole in Sandy Shore. Sam Thornley, no stranger to winning Drivers Series, partners last start Addington winner Brandi Snapp. View the full article -
By Wandering Eyes · Posted
By Michael Guerin Todd Mitchell is looking forward to getting back on two speedy trotting stablemates at Alexandra Park even though he knows he might just be keeping the seat warm on one of them. The four-time New Zealand Cup- winning driver partners two winning chances from the Wallis/Hackett stable including one of the big movers of the northern trotting spring in Belle Neige (R6, No.10). Belle Neige won three races in a month in August-September and while Mitchell has driven her before he gets on tonight as regular driver Crystal Hackett will be at Addington for the New Zealand Junior Drivers Champs. “She is a really nice mare so it will be good to get back on her but it isn’t an easy assignment,” admits Mitchell. “She is off a decent handicap and it is a good field for this grade. “I am sure she is being aimed at the mares Group 1 trot in a few weeks so she should improve with the run and I actually thought her stablemate Hillbilly Blues would be hard to beat off the front.” The latter has always looked an open class trotter in waiting as he can peel off 57-second last 800m sectionals and is developing the strength to compliment that speed. It is a deep field though and a rarity being an 11-horse race at Alexandra Park in which any one of them could win without surprising. Earlier in the night Mitchell partners Shesgold (R4, No.4) in a far easier race and she is back doing what she loves best. Shesgold has had five career wins and all have been in 2200m standing starts, four at The Park and two with Mitchell in the sulky. “You can forgive her last run because she got parked out on a strong speed which doesn’t suit her but this looks more her race,” says Mitchell. “And I think she is best with two weeks between her runs so she gets her chance on Friday.” Shesgold meets a progressive trotter in Stone Cold and a horse showing talent in Hill Billie Bundy as well as the once-promising Levi in a tricky little field. While other trotters like Look To Da Stars (R2, No.10) will attract plenty of punter attention tonight the class race of the meeting is the handicap pace in which Captain Sampson (R7, No.4) takes on smart old pacers in the $30,000 Thames Goldfields Cup. Captain Sampson is a lovely three-year-old on his way to the top but was nutted on the line last start by a race rival tonight in Little Spike at Cambridge. They start off the same 20m handicaps tonight as they did last start so Little Spike is an obvious danger for trainer Arna Donnelly, who also has The Surfer and Jolimont (30m) in the standing start 2200m. View the full article
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