Chief Stipe

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A decade after setting up their own agistment and sales prep operation, young couple Casey and Michelle Dando are looking down the barrel of an industry that’s floundering. Want to read this content? For free user content sign up here Free Online Content View our subscription options and get behind The Informant paywall Already a member? Login here View the full article

There has been a change of plan for New Zealand Derby winner Crown Prosecutor. Want to read this content? For free user content sign up here Free Online Content View our subscription options and get behind The Informant paywall Already a member? Login here View the full article

Editor – A recent Informant article from your correspondent John Richardson about the parlous state of racing and breeding in Italy is a wake-up call to all who have the power of influence in our own industry. The underlying – or perhaps should that be emphatic – message was to politicians and others who don’t […] Want to read this content? For free user content sign up here Free Online Content View our subscription options and get behind The Informant paywall Already a member? Login here View the full article

The pages of this publication have regularly brought industry issues to bear with a variety of fact and opinion, but... Want to read this content? For free user content sign up here Free Online Content View our subscription options and get behind The Informant paywall Already a member? Login here View the full article

Traditionalists will be hating it, but the new generation of Australian racegoers are loving it as the long-feuding state versus state... Want to read this content? For free user content sign up here Free Online Content View our subscription options and get behind The Informant paywall Already a member? Login here View the full article

Editor – The Informant’s Garrick Knight, in his column, accused Taranaki Racing of laziness in programming and that Taranaki Racing doesn’t give a hoot about Harness Racing based on information he gathered. Courtesy would say that any journalist should contact the club to get their side of the decision-making, but unfortunately this didn’t happen and […] Want to read this content? For free user content sign up here Free Online Content View our subscription options and get behind The Informant paywall Already a member? Login here View the full article

It had to happen sometime but that didn’t make it any easier to swallow. Want to read this content? For free user content sign up here Free Online Content View our subscription options and get behind The Informant paywall Already a member? Login here View the full article

Auckland junior driver Jack MacKinnon is about to head across the ditch having been offered... Want to read this content? For free user content sign up here Free Online Content View our subscription options and get behind The Informant paywall Already a member? Login here View the full article

Phew! Was the 2019 edition of Randwick’s Chipping Norton Stakes an unforgettable horse race – or television’s never to be forgotten... Want to read this content? For free user content sign up here Free Online Content View our subscription options and get behind The Informant paywall Already a member? Login here View the full article

I feel that more variety in our racing is needed to create some enthusiasm and incentive to keep... Want to read this content? For free user content sign up here Free Online Content View our subscription options and get behind The Informant paywall Already a member? Login here View the full article

The success of last month’s yearling sales at Karaka and Christchurch has been well-documented, the addition of NZBS to... Want to read this content? For free user content sign up here Free Online Content View our subscription options and get behind The Informant paywall Already a member? Login here View the full article

Matthew Williamson will take his trotting driving skills to the World Drivers Championships in Sweden this year. Photo: JONNY TURNER. Oamaru driver Matthew Williamson will don the silver fern to represent New Zealand at this year’s World Drivers Championships. Williamson will head to Sweden in May to compete with the world’s best reinsman in the week-long series. The talented reinsman described his selection as a great honour. “It is a very exciting opportunity and it will be a great honour to represent the country.” Williamson will compete in 24 races at five racetracks across Sweden. A total of 12 world-class drivers will compete in the series. The championship is likely to be the highlight of the reinsman’s working year, but not at the top of his personal triumphs in 2019. Williamson’s partner and fellow driver, Charlotte Purvis, is expecting the couple’s first child in June. Few would be better credentialed to represent New Zealand in the series, as all events in the competition are trotting races. The 27-year-old is hoping to get the chance to get an up close look at how the Swedes fine-tune their squaregaiters during his visit. “I think we get a couple of days off during the week.” “So, even just seeing how they do things over there.” “I have been in the junior drivers series a couple of times.” “They are really good trips for everything you take in and the people you meet.” “When you go overseas it is good to go and see how everyone else does it.” Williamson said he could not have been selected without the support of owners and trainers across New Zealand. “There are too many people to name individually, but to all the people that have supported me I owe them a big thanks.” “I am sure they will be very excited about me going as well.” Williamson taking his family’s incredible trotting talents to the world stage is something his parents, Phil and Bev, are naturally delighted about. “They are over the moon, of course, with me being asked to go.” It is a case of back to reality for Williamson after the thrill of the announcement. The reinsman has a busy night at Forbury Park on Thursday night with nine drives. Blair Orange was originally announced as the New Zealand representative for the World Driving Championships recently. It is understood he decided to withdraw. View the full article

Sagwitch is one of several winners trainer Syd Breen and driver Mark Hurrell have combined with this season. Photo: The Informant. Gore trainer Syd Breen’s magical season looks set to continue at Forbury Park on Thursday night. Breen notched his 14th win this term when Santanna’s Rocket ran to victory at Invercargill on Sunday. This season is clearly Breen’s best in his thirteen seasons as a trainer. He can continue his wave of success when he starts Coolhand Easton in race 7 and Mucho Macho Man in race 8. Driver Brad Williamson has the option of leading from barrier 1 with Coolhand Easton. Breen said he expected the horse to be hard to beat, whether he stayed in front or handed up to another runner. “If he gets out of the gate and leads I don’t think that lot would beat him.” “Even if he had took a trail he should be too good for them.” “He worked really well on Tuesday, he didn’t go really fast, but he just felt really good.” Mucho Macho Man will attempt to win his fifth race in just his sixth start at Forbury Park. The pacer clearly thrives at Forbury Park, but exactly why that is was a mystery to Breen. “Invercargill and Gore are exactly the same size, but he just loves it at Forbury.” “He just handles it so well and I expect him to be hard to beat again.” Mucho Macho Man scored his fourth win at Forbury Park when producing a swooping finish for driver Mark Hurrell. Hurrell has been in the sulky in each of the horse’s wins a the course. “They just really click, they get on like a house of fire.” Breen said Mucho Macho Man could return to Forbury Park in even better order than he was in for his last start win there. “He has improved if anything, his work on Saturday was just terrific.” “He is just a happy old horse, he loves going around on the grass at home on the hill.” Another Forbury Park specialist looks a strong winning chance in race 2. Omar Sharif has won twice and placed three times in five starts at the Dunedin track. The Amber Hoffman trained pacer went the best race of his current campaign running in to third place behind Bettor Enforce at Oamaru recently. Hoffman has a team of eight horses entered at tonight’s meeting. View the full article