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By Wandering Eyes · Posted
Millie Bond’s love of harness racing started young. One of her earliest memories is sitting on her dad’s lap as he jogged a horse called Crusher Collins around their home track in Gore. “I had a big smile on my face,” she says. “It was the first time I felt the excitement of being on a horse moving.” Now 16, Millie is chasing that same feeling, this time on one of harness racing’s biggest stages. On Saturday night, she will represent New Zealand in the ID25 Mini Trots Championship Final at Albion Park in Brisbane. Held as part of the Inter Dominion Grand Final meeting, the event brings together young drivers from across Australasia. Millie is New Zealand’s sole representative and has been invited straight into the final. “I was so excited and a bit shocked when we got the call,” she says. “It felt like a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity. I couldn’t believe it at first.” The phone call came on June 19, while Millie and her mum Aimee were at the races. Danny Blackmore was on the line to deliver the news. “We were absolutely over the moon,” says Aimee. “It was surreal. She’s worked so hard for this, and to see it pay off is incredibly special.” Millie has been part of Kidz Kartz Southland for the past three seasons, but horses have always been part of her life. Her father Lyndon has trained 78 winners from his Mataura base, and she comes from a long line of Bonds involved in harness racing with the sport woven through her family for generations. Growing up in a harness racing household taught Millie more than just how to drive. “She’s very aware and respectful when handling animals, especially ones she doesn’t know,” says Aimee. “She’s cautious but confident. Safety and horsemanship are second nature to her now.” Ponies George, Doc and Bingo Millie started Kidz Kartz with two ponies, Bingo and Doc, gifted by Jamie and Natalie Gameson. She still remembers winning her first cup race with Bingo at Riverton. “We were wide on the grass track and I tried to save his sprint until the last 150 metres,” she says. “He just got up on the line. My heart stopped when I heard the commentator say I’d won, it was such a shock.” These days, her regular drive is George (race name The Ginga Ninja) a pony her uncle Graham Bond broke in. George was “a bit hitchy” behind at first, but after a lot of work, the pair found their rhythm. Last season, George won ten races, including the Wyndham Kindergarten Kidz Kartz Series Trophy. “He’s been a bit of a project,” Millie says, “but he’s come a long way.” Behind the scenes, Millie’s also putting in the work to turn her passion into a career. Through the Gateway programme, she now spends Thursdays at Tony Stratford’s stable in Gore and Fridays at Telford in Balclutha, gaining hands-on experience in areas like stable management and horse care, a natural next step from what she’s learned through Kidz Kartz and at home. “The Gateway programme has been a great addition to my learning,” she says. “Being at a different stable gives me new experiences, because everyone has different ways of doing things. It’s helped me grow as a driver, and I know I’ll always have a passion for harness racing.” That development is something her parents have noticed too. “Her attention to detail really stands out,” says Aimee. “From how she presents her ponies to how she prepares for races, she’s so focused and meticulous. It’s that kind of dedication that’s gotten her to this level.” When asked who she looks up to, Millie doesn’t hesitate. “Samantha Ottley. She’s a legend and such a great ambassador for our sport. She’s also driven a lot of winners for our family, including Step It Up A Notch when she won on Show Day. I’d love to be like her one day.” Now, with the final looming, Millie will step into the sulky with a new pony, on a new track, under the lights of one of the sport’s biggest nights. She’s ready. “I might be a bit nervous once I get out there,” she says, “but I’ll do my best.” View the full article -
By Wandering Eyes · Posted
by Jonny Turner Brad Williamson’s winning double on Winter Rewards Day at Winton on Thursday brought delight to owners across New Zealand. The Oamaru trainer-driver produced Aint No Angel to win her second Winter Rewards Final, as well as scoring with Tabasco. After producing strong form in handy company recently, Aint No Angel saved her best for Southland’s biggest day of harness racing so far. The mare’s victory sits alongside the Winter Rewards Final she produced at Addington last year for Oturehua (Central Otago) breeder-owners Neville Armstrong, Rusty Nevill, and Kim and Mary Heaney. The win also added to the ever-growing list of winners for Nevill, who rates as one of Otago’s biggest standardbred breeders. “It’s a great result for Rusty, behind the scenes he does a hell of a lot for the industry,” Williamson said. “He probably goes under the radar a bit, he is not one to put himself in the spotlight.” “But he breeds and races a lot of horses and contributes a lot to the industry.” “Rusty is in this mare with a group of his mates from Central Otago and they love watching her race.” “They all would’ve got a great thrill out of today.” Tabasco bounced quickly back to his best form while showing he’s got another weapon in his arsenal. The pacer almost exclusively races up on the pace, but on Thursday Williamson was forced to sit off a strong early speed from his wide draw. Despite possibly being out of his comfort zone, it mattered little when Tabasco powered home to score. “His best results have come when I have driven him upside down,” Williamson said. “But today he was just sitting back doing nothing in what was a bit of a drop back in class for him.” “He had raced in country cups right through his last preparation.” “Last week he loomed into it like the winner, but he hit the wall just with having such a big gap between races.” “We will keep racing him through the winter now, he’s a pleasure to have in the stable.” Tabasco is raced by a group of loyal Williamson stable owners, including Robert Austin of Waiuku. “Robert makes the trip down from up north for most of Tabasco’s races,” Williamson said. “He bred this horse’s dam, so it’s his breed, really.” “He’s a great owner and loves his racing and his horses, so it is great that can get a bit more success today.” Downtown Orlando, Robyns Hustler, Share A Dream, Emily, and Southside Of Heaven were also Winter Rewards Final winners alongside Aint No Angel at Winton on Thursday. View the full article -
By Wandering Eyes · Posted
by Michael Guerin Even for the man with a plan Steve Telfer is stunned how quickly the New Zealand harness racing trainer’s premiership may have become a one-stable race. Telfer and his sister/training partner Amanda go into this weekend’s racing 16 wins clear in the premiership after being 16 behind Michael House just two months ago. It has been a staggering turnaround but one Telfer all but predicted, just not at this record speed. “We had a plan to race a good team through winter, when the stakes are almost as good as summer but the opposition isn’t as tough,” says Telfer. “We had good numbers and a lot of horses coming back on ratings they were going to be competitive at so I was confident we were ready to hit some form. “But I couldn’t have quite predicted what has happeened. We have had a huge run and look to be in a pretty good position to win the premiership.” While the harness racing season doesn’t end until December 31, over six months away, Team Telfer are paying $1.02 to win the title after being $2.80 less than two month ago. And there imposing lead could extend signifcantly tonight as they have up to six potential favourites between Alexandra Park and Addington. “We had a quieter week last week [two wins] as it had been very wet so some of the horses didn’t get as much hoppled work so we chose to let them miss a week. “But we have some really strong chances tonight.” That starts in the opener at Alexandra Park for which Beachbreak is favourite after close seconds in stronger fields lately. “He is a logical chance but our other horse Princess Lisa was unlucky last start and could even get a better run so she is right up there with him,” says Telfer. Turn O The Tide is rated the stable’s better hope of three winning chances in Race 4, with Telfer suggesting the big, strong jprse can make it to the verge of the better three-year-old races later in the season. The stable again has two reps in Race 5, one of the strongest races of the night and Telfer warns punters to forgive Twista his lazy effort at Cambridge last Thursday. “He is so laid back he can be a bit funny and he was like that last week so he will go better this week but I really like Semba over the 1700m. “He has gate speed and the short trip suits him so maybe him narrowly on top out of our two.” Telfer says their best winning chance at Alexandra Park would be Captain Moonlight if he produces his best in Race 7. “We thought he’d win last start as he works way better than a maiden at home and we were stunned when he raced that poorly. “There was nothing majorly wrong with him and he had a nice quiet trial but please us last week and if he races up to his work he should get the chocolates.” J T Boe goes on top as the stable’s best chance of their two hopes in the last race. They have almost as powerful a presence at Addington tonight with at least four winning chances. “Miki Flybye [R1), Riptide [R3], obviously Slots [R8], C C Arden [R9) can all win and so could a few of the others but if I had to name one as our best chance down there it would be Arden Seascape [R3, No 7], who had no luck last start.” View the full article -
By Wandering Eyes · Posted
by Michael Guerin Trainer Matty Williamson admits tonight’s Ricoh Canterbury Silk Road Final isn’t the perfect race for Princess Sadie. But he says that doesn’t mean the speedy four-year-old can’t still win it. Williamson trains and drives the five-win mare who has been one of the best of her age at two and three. She now faces taking on older horses at every start and often, like tonight, that also means stepping up in distance. “She is a real speed mare so the 2600m handicap probably isn’t ideal for her,” says Williamsom. “But it is the best race for her at this stage of the season so we will deal with that. “When she won over 2400m two starts ago she rated 2:2 so she is strengthening up and while she was beaten last start that wasn’t her best. “So I think she will go better again this week.” Princess Sadie led and was divebombed by I Dream Of Jeannie last start although the winner, who is now with Robert and Jenna Dunn, goes back a further 10m for that victory. “She is a good trotting mare I Dream Of Jeannie so she will be hard to beat but I think our mare will improve too,” says Williamson. “But yes, longer term I am looking forward to getting her back to some mobile sprint races which I think will suit her and I think she can work her way through to the verge of open class.” Williamson, who is on 1272 career driving wins, will partner Got You Covered in the main pace and he liked the performance of the now Kevin Fairburn-trained pacer when third here last Friday. “He can win a race again soon for sure. I am not saying it will be this week because it is a handy little field but I thought he we went well.” Earlier in the night stable rep Florence The Machine (R2, No 9) has copped a bad draw in her mobile trot and her manners come sometimes let her down and she meets some handy enough types. View the full article
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