News Briefs : August 30

[Wandering Eyes]

The Box Seat set to return

The Box Seat, the weekly show that is all things harness racing, returns next week after a winter break. Hosted by Greg O’Connor and Michael Guerin the show will be on Youtube and the hrnz website from 5pm on Tuesdays and also broadcast on Trackside during the week, including a 9am slot every Wednesday.

Blue September kicks off tomorrow

The recently retired Folklore will have a new role throughout Blue September, the annual Prostate Cancer Foundation fundraiser. Co-owner Ian Wilson says the seven-year-old Sportswriter mare will donate $100 for every win driver and Blue September ambassador Jonny Cox has during the campaign. After 13 wins and $185,335 in stakes the mare retired from racing in June this year and will soon be heading to the breeding barn. Cox was Folklore’s trainer and he also drove her in the majority of her starts. And tickets are still available for Friday’s Blue September launch dinner at Addington Raceway. For more information contact courtney@hrnz.co.nz

Jereme’s Jet dies

One-time world champion Jereme’s Jet has died, aged 20. Retired from the breeding barn he had been enjoying his retirement in Indiana. He was a champion two-year-old pacing colt and won 16 of 35 lifetime starts, earning over $1.5m. He stood as a stallion in North America, with his off spring earning over $41m. Among his good performers in this country were Helena Jet, who had 13 wins from 2013-15, Chal Shocked (7 wins) and six race winners Alta Jerome (6 wins) and Whisper jet.

Countdown to Eureka

Two of the big guns in the world’s richest harness race, Catch A Wave and Captain Ravishing, looked sharp in their final hit outs before Saturday night’s $2.1m  TAB Eureka at Menangle. Catch A Wave smashed the clock with a privately timed 52sec last 800m when he came from 20m off the leaders in a seven-horse Melton trial and was beaten less than two metres in a 1min55.3sec mile rate for 1720m while the enigmatic but gifted Captain Ravishing, who will go into the TAB Eureka first-up for six months, ran a 53.7sec last half at the end of a 2400m private trial at Menangle.

Gavelhouse auction closes tonight

The latest gavelhouse auction closes from 7pm tonight. Among the 18 lots is Fast Twitch. Foaled in November last year, he is a Elite Stride – Lady Muscles colt being offered by breeder-trainer-driver Alan Clark. At last look his bidding was at $4000, while nine win trotter Delson is also up for sale. The eight-year-old last raced in this country at Cambridge in February 2022. His leading bid currently stands at $2100.

Harness racing turnovers for the past week :

Thursday 24 August – Gore at Wyndham – Turnover $421,878, Gross Betting Margin 7.8%
Thursday 24 August – Cambridge – Turnover $632,810, GBM 27.0%
Friday 25 August – Addington – Turnover $945,503, GBM 23.4%
Sunday 27 August – Rangiora – Turnover $783,374, GBM 24.8%

Club News – Methven

With the first hint of spring the Methven Trotting Club committee has been busy dusting off the race day gear and tidying up the track and surrounds for our rapidly approaching first grass track meeting set for Sunday 10 September. The track has had no dramas over winter and is likely to be in first class order. Everyone will notice our middle stable block (including swab box) has been demolished and replaced with a modern user friendly block with improved drainage as the club continues its push to modernize and update facilities. It’s to be known as the Holmes’ block after the local family who originally donated the land we still use to this day. In a similar vein Holmes Rd, the short road most Christchurch traffic use to approach the track, has finally reopened.

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