In this BH monthly interview, Karen M. Johnson profiles young racing personalities. View the full article

Key lead-up races the Holmes D G and the Methven Cup have prompted a big change in this week’s rankings for the IRT New Zealand Trotting Cup, to be held at Addington Raceway on Tuesday, November 11.   Sooner The Bettor became the sixth horse to automatically qualify for the $1m NZ Cup with his win in the Holmes D G at Alexandra Park on Friday night while Better Knuckle Up has been rewarded for his third placing to go for 21st to 17.   Better Knuckle Up was the inaugural winner of last year’s THE VELOCITY slot race at Addington. He completed a Barry Purdon and Scott Phelan-trained trifecta in the Holmes DG with Merlin finishing second.   Further south Rakero Rocket solidified his 11th place in the rankings with his win in Sunday’s Methven Cup while the fast finishing runner-up Wag Star has been a big mover – up six places from 25th to 19, just four places outside the cut-off.   After finishing fourth in the Methven Cup, American Me has improved two places to 13th. He was fourth in the 2023 New Zealand Cup as well.   Both the Holmes D G and Methven Cup had Group 3 status.   The top 10 in the rankings for the Renwick Farms Dominion Trot remain unchanged this week though there has been some manoeuvring just behind them, especially from two Australian contenders.   Jilliby Ballerini has improved seven places to 12th on the back of her win at the Group 3 Australasian Trotters Championship at Melton beating a quality field that included Arcee Phoenix. She is now a $6 third favourite for the Dominion behind Oscar Bonavena and Bet N Win.   The other trotter heading up the rankings this week is Parisian Artiste following his 15th career win at Menangle on Saturday night. He has gone from 14th to 11th.   The rankings will be updated weekly with the final rankings coming out after the Kaikoura Cup meeting on Monday, November 3.   To see the latest rankings click here    View the full article

Time is running out for racegoers to get onboard The Whale Train for Kaikoura’s two day meeting next month.   Held over Marlborough Anniversary weekend the Sunday meeting on November 2 will feature the opening rounds of the 2025 World Driving Championship while Monday’s card will be highlighted by the 100th running of the Kaikoura Cup.   The annual meeting is always a crowd favourite with thousands flocking to the scenic South Bay race course.   This year Pounamu Tourism is offering two return train trips from Christchurch on its Whale Train – a retro, red and white, 1950s classic DA locomotive.   Both leave and return on the same day.   The Sunday trip leaves Christchurch at 8.30am and returns at 6.15pm, with a one and a half hour window at the races while Monday’s trip departs at 8.30am and returns at 10.15pm, giving travellers the opportunity to catch all the day’s action on course.   The cost for a family of four is $399, with adults at $169 and children at $69.   Those wanting to make enquiries should go to : www.pounamutourismgroup.com   or contact :  paul@pounamutourismgroup.com View the full article

One of the country’s highest profile and most influential breeders is confident there will be spin-offs for all the racing codes from New Zealand’s Free Trade agreement with the United Arab Emirates. Recently Ken and Karen Breckon, who own and manage the award-winning Breckon Farms, hosted a delegation that included the chair and chief executive of TAB New Zealand, Bill Birnie and Nick Roberts as well as the UAE’s ambassador to New Zealand, His Excellency Mr Rashed Matar Sultan Alsiri Alremzi. “To have someone at that level from the UAE here shows that they are serious about looking at opportunities in the New Zealand bloodstock industry” says Breckon. The visit from His Excellency followed the Comprehensive Economic Partnership Agreement (CEPA) coming into force on August 28, 2025. It is New Zealand’s first free trade agreement in the Middle East.   “New Zealand has over a billion dollars worth of exports to the UAE every year and that figure is set to increase exponentially in the next decade or so,” says Breckon, “that’s an incredible opportunity.” As well as being a top breeder Breckon also represents harness racing’s interests on a high powered committee set up to advise the TAB NZ. It stemmed from an idea from Racing Minister Winston Peters, Bill Birnie and Sir Peter Vela, who chairs the committee. Based at Ohaupo in Waikato, Breckon Farms was set up more than decade ago. Last year it underwent a substantial upgrade into a state-of-the-art facility featuring stabling for 48 horses, function rooms and a parade ring. “We drove him around the farm and showed him the investment here and to showcase harness racing which they are not familiar with,” says Breckon. The Breckons also showed Mr Alremzi replays of some of their best horses winning big races including millionaire trotter I Can Doosit, the winner of 18 in a row, and unbeaten superstar Millwood Nike who won 17 straight before being retired last year. “We brought I Can Doosit out for the day which he thoroughly enjoyed.” The UAE has no ties with harness racing at all. It is a thoroughbred powerhouse worth billions. Among its marquee races are the Dubai World Cup, one of the world’s richest races. But Breckon says that doesn’t mean there won’t be opportunities. “Going forward they could invest into our industry through studs or by buying into top broodmares, stallions or in horses at Group level.” “Then there are other activities in New Zealand like the way we train horses, veterinary science and horse welfare and technologies around performance monitoring and analysis which are world class.” “There are many lessons in the UAE we can learn from and vice versa.” Breckon is upbeat the relationship between the two countries will flourish. Among near term plans are to have His Excellency hosted at Karaka next year as it celebrates 100 years of National Yearling Sales in New Zealand. View the full article

A significant driver change has been confirmed for the upcoming World Driving Championship to be held around New Zealand this November. Italian representative Antonio Simioli has withdrawn due to personal reasons and has been replaced by Giampaolo Minnucci, the driver who gained fame and world-wide success with superstar Italian trotter Varenne. Known as the Il Capitano (The Captain), Varenne was acclaimed as the greatest trotter in harness racing history, earning a record $US8.7m, with 62 wins from just 73 starts. He was also the only horse to win Horse of the Year in three different countries – Italy, France and the USA. As his regular driver Minnucci played a critical role in Varenne’s success. Among their greatest performances was the win in a new world record at the 2001 Breeders Crown at The Meadowlands in North America and their two wins at Sweden’s great race, the Elitloppet in 2001 and 2002. Italy has won the WDC twice before in its 55 year history  – Roberto Andreghetti in 1997 and Guiseppe Guzzinati (1972). The WDC starts in just over three weeks with 10 of the globe’s best drivers, including New Zealand’s representative Blair Orange,  battling it out at Kaikoura (November 2 and 3), Cambridge (November 5), Addington (November 7), Winton (November 9) and finally on IRT New Zealand Trotting Cup day at Addington on Tuesday, November 11. To see more on the WDC go to wdc25.nz View the full article