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From Cox Plate to Hong Kong Derby, the HK$13 million European import with high expectations
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Encouraging becomes the first ex-Michael Freedman horse to salute – will we see more at Happy Valley?
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HKIR: Dubai on cards for ‘brutally good’ Beauty Generation after Hong Kong Mile demolition
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HKIR: Zac Purton pulls Exultant off canvas to deliver first Hong Kong Vase for legendary Tony Cruz
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By Wandering Eyes · Posted
Harness Racing New Zealand is urging a “change of mindset” around racing young horses. From October 1 2025, yearlings can go to the trials and qualify though they won’t race until they are at least two. “Prior to the birth-date change three years ago 2YOs could qualify from August 1 and the first lot of 2YO races were programmed for mid-late October, so it isn’t that major a change,” says HRNZ’s Head of Racing and Wagering Matthew Peden. “It just involves a change of mindset among owners, trainers and licence-holders generally.” “To get young horses off their properties and to the workouts and the trials is a huge part of their education.” The change in birth-date to a calendar year rather than August 1 – July 31 came into place in 2022. “The fact that the year is now January to December is critical to our thinking,” says Peden, “if young horses trial or qualify in October they would potentially be ready to race in January as two-year-olds.” “We have seen two-year-old racing make some serious progress in the last year or so with a number of lucrative bonuses to get young horses up and going early.” There are $12,000 bonuses in place for every youngster winning their first two-year-old race and this year has also seen the Next Gen ownership model come into play with $600,000 in bonuses for NZB Standardbred National Yearling Sales purchases in their 2YO season. But there is potential for more. “There were 114 individual 2YO winners in 2024 but that was only up three per cent up on 2023. We think there is scope for greater growth there.” “Ideally we would like to get some newly-qualified 2YOs at races like the Young Guns in Auckland in late January,” says Peden, “they are now $100k for each of the colts and geldings, and fillies and trotters from 2026.” “Our data also tells us that a horse that starts their careers as two-year-olds will have on average 39 starts across New Zealand as opposed to 28 if they start as three-year-olds.” “With the number of races increasing year on year we are keen to explore ways to best use our horses right around the country.” For any queries or more information contact : matthew.peden@hrnz.co.nz View the full article -
By Wandering Eyes · Posted
By Dave Di Somma, Harness News Desk Royal Aspirations has become the latest trotting sire to join the $1m club. And for a New Zealand stallion that’s a pretty rare feat. Last weekend when KD Royalty (Royal Aspirations – Kazzle Dazzle) and Paris Prince (Royal Aspirations – Paris Belle) won at Addington and Rangiora respectively it pushed his progeny’s career earnings to $1,008,563. Standing at Grant Beckett’s Phoebe Standardbreds near Christchurch, Royal Aspiration has produced 20 individual winners, with 73 wins from 677 starts. KD Royalty, Paris Prince and Sunny Louis have had seven wins, with Royal Del (pictured above) leading the way with 11. In 2022 his stock had a great run, producing five winners in 10 days. There has also ben some Australian success with Frosty Girl (5 wins) and Gracias (4 wins). “I’m a one man band” says Beckett, “and $1m is an achievement and we’ll certainly take the milestones as they come along.” “I personally think there is no harder place in the world for a stallion to establish himself, particularly a local one against all the shuttle stallions and frozen semen we have – it’s not an easy gig.” Royal Aspirations (above) went to stud after a racing career that saw him win 18 races and he still holds the New Zealand record for two-year-old trotters (1:56.5) set over a mile at Cambridge Raceway in 2012. It’s widely believed that the last New Zealand trotting sire to top $1m in earnings was Great Evander, a seven race winner in the 1950s. Records show his trotting progeny accrued $1,995,205. Among his best performers were Easton Light (36 wins), About Now (25) and Basil Dean (24). Beckett is hopeful the best of Royal Aspiration’s stock is yet to be seen. “Right now he is the mid-20s (serves) per season and he did have that one crop of over 100 a couple or three years ago.” Ironically Beckett says he has never bred a winner from Royal Aspirations himself. “I’ve bred about 25 – the oldest is four – and there is still time,” he laughs, “we’ll get there.” Maybe the first could be a Royal Aspirations two-year-old being prepared by Ross Houghton. “He’s called Circus Maximus and he’s out of Phoebe Revival, one of our foundation mares.” “It sounds like they think a bit of him.” View the full article -
By Wandering Eyes · Posted
By Bruce Stewart A member of New Zealand’s greatest harness racing family, Les Purdon passed away peacefully last week in Auckland. He was 83. Les was the youngest son of Hugh Purdon and like his brothers Roy, Sandy, Foster and Joe, he trained horses. For a number of years he worked for Hugh, and in 1958 he obtained a junior driver’s licence. His first winner came in June that year when he drove Dusky Valley to win for his father. Les ultimately drove 235 winners, his last being behind Galaxy at Alexandra Park in March 1985. Other successes followed. He drove Sally Belwin, trained by Len Bayer and Brian Barlett, to win eight races including the 1975 North Island Breeders Stakes. He drove Gymea Gold to win the 1976 Northern Oaks in which she beat Olga Korbut. He drove Del’s Trophy (a Birdie Hanover gelding) for Arthur Cross, winning eight races including the first Dominion Breweries Mobile Stakes – now known as the Cardigan Bay/ Young Guns Final. He also drove one of New Zealand’s greatest mares Delightful Lady to win her first race at Claudelands in January 1977. And he drove successfully in the USA. Les’s training career began in 1966. His first winner was Goodray which won the Morrinsville Juvenile Stakes. He trained 152 winners under his own name, 27 with son-in-law Steven Reid, 16 with Fraser Kirk and 11 with his daughter Angela. Les also trained Born To Trot to win the 1990 Group Two New Zealand Two Year Old Trotting Stakes at Addington. His best winner was As Required which won eight. He also had success with Chance With Vance which won seven, Reilly and Evander’s Gift. He trained Chance With Vance with Reid. Reid said “I was working for Les’s brother Sandy and I came to a bit of a crossroads. I was a bit despondent. I was getting some drives, but not a heap. I made the call to take a break from the industry. Les approached me and offered to take me into partnership. I jumped at that. It was at that time I started dating Les’s daughter Wendy.” After two years training with Purdon, Reid decided to branch out on his own. “He was really good to me. He gave me gear, carts and he even gave me three horses. It gave me a real kick. Two of the horses were racehorses. One was Amendment which we’d just brought up from Christchurch and he won within two or three weeks of me going into training. I was always very appreciative of what he did for me.” He continued, “He was an extremely good horseman and a very good driver. He never did a big team, maybe about 10 but he really focussed on his horses. They were always brushed up and they looked immaculate. He was a very good feeder and paid attention to detail. They’re the two things I took away from working with Les.” Purdon trained for all of his career at a property on Harrisville Road in Pukekohe. “He bought that property maybe 50 to 60 years ago and his daughter Angela and her husband Kerry own it now. He was a great worker. He was one of those guys who would never get anyone in to do anything on the property. He would do everything himself. He could turn his hand to most things.” Les had an affinity for colts. “He used to love his colts. If he could leave them as colts he would. He said to me that he got taught from his Dad that colts needed to be really groomed up. When they go to the races they need to look good because the colts want to look like that. When you think about it, it makes sense. It’s like the boy going out on the town and trying to look good for the girls (laughter). He used to plait up their forelocks, have them bandaged up and they’d be shampooed,” said Reid. At the end of his training career Purdon focused on exporting racehorses to America and became very good friends with international bloodstock agent John Curtin. “He worked for Bob McArdle for years. They used to take horses to America and sell them along with John Devlin and Bob Latimer. It was big business in those days. We were selling three $100,000 horses a week to John Muscara,” Curtin said. During the exporting years Les forged a great working relationship with international horse transporter IRT. Curtin commented “IRT are so good at keeping you up to date with everything. They’d tell you when the horse got on the plane, what it did on the plane and when it got off. Les was very good at that and kept a track on everything all the way through. He was sensational.” Les Purdon will be remembered as a quality reinsman and a trainer who focused on detail. He had a generous nature and willingness to help people get on in the industry that he loved. Les is survived by his three children Angela, Wendy and Adrian and the wider Purdon family. View the full article
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