News Briefs – March 31

[Wandering Eyes]

Quinella for top stallion

Always B Miki has had his first New Zealand winner, and he not only sired the winner, but the runner-up too. It was a Barry Purdon and Scott Phelan-trained quinella when Montana Glory ($10 and $2.50) and Miki Montana ($2.70 place) finished 1-2 in the Magness Benrow NZ Sires Stakes Fillies Heat 2 over 1700 metres at Alexandra Park on Friday night. Always B Miki, the only horse to win four races in 1:47 or faster and the US Horse of the Year in 2016, is available in this country at Nevele R stud and at Alabar.

Bumper night for Addington

Friday night’s premier night at Addington had betting turnover of $1,307,457, the biggest for a harness racing meeting in this country since Banks Peninsula’s $1,537,360 on January 24.The total for the week was $4,595,389, the highest since the week ending Feb 8 ($5,356,622).

Butt gets Easter chocolates

The driving-training combo of Anthony Butt and Dean Braun was in unstoppable form at Tasmania, with wins in both heats of the Group 2 Easter Cup. Our Princess Tiffany was slow from her 30-metre handicap but stomped home in 28.4s and 28.1s to win by a neck, and Willie Go West dashed home in 27.3s.

History for “new” trotter

In Indiana, Joe Joe Joe has become the fastest dual-gaited Standardbred ever. As a pacer he had a best lifetime mark of 1:50.2 and now as a trotter he’s won in 1:54.4. With a combined mark of 3:45.2 he beats the previous record of 3:45.4. Joe Joe Joe has now two of four lifetime starts as a trotter after changing gaits in 2020 following an injury-enforced break.

Club News : Wyndham

Harness racing is back at Young Quinn Raceway in Wyndham tomorrow and what a return it will be. The Wyndham Harness Racing Club return to their home track for the first time in more than twelve months on Thursday 1 April.

The return features some top class racing with the $25,000 Group 3 Macca Lodge New Zealand Kindergarten Stakes, the $15,000 MLT/Three Rivers Hotel Wyndham Cup Handicap Pace over 3200m and the Cardrona Distillery/MLT 3yo Stakes.

Wendonside stud, Macca Lodge, have stepped in to support the NZ Kindergarten Stakes this year as part of their strategy to support breeding while the Milne Family from Edendale, who have a very long association with the Club, will again donate a trophy, to be presented to the winning connections. The prestigious race has a long and distinguished list of past winners that have gone on to become top line performers.

The race day commences at 1.27pm giving patrons the opportunity to leave work a little early on what will be the last day of the working week with the Easter Holiday starting the next day.

Admission is free and it is a great opportunity for the local community to turn out in force to support their local club. Punters Club tickets will be on sale prior to race 3 at $10 each and the Kidz Kartz Wyndham Cup will take place during the afternoon.
For the kids there will be a lolly scramble supported by Mad Cow Coffee. Groups, marquees and gazebos are encouraged as racing returns to Wyndham.

Methven :

The Methven Club is gearing up for its penultimate meeting of the year on Sunday April 11 at the picturesque Mt. Harding racecourse. With the recent settled weather the track and surrounds are in fine order and at this stage no snow on the alps keeping the temperatures warm .

A mainly low key meeting with the highlight being the Woodlands Mt.Hutt Cup run over 3,000m for the developing staying types. Patrons will notice considerable progress has been made on the club’s housing development over in the back straight with sales continuing to be encouraging.

The theme of the day will be club members with all members invited to the Goodwin Lounge for the day for light refreshment, a few giveaways and a chance for reminiscing about days of old. At this stage it is hoped all life members and past presidents will be present and available for a chat.
Anyone wishing to come who is not a member simply needs to duck into the secretary’s office fill in a form and pay $15 to join the club and thus eligible to enter the Goodwin Lounge on the day.

One of the races on the day will be sponsored by the Methven past Presidents and that will be sure to add interest. Included in the group is one gentleman talented enough to drive in a race against legendary reinsman Peter Wolfenden, run in a race against New Zealand’s best ever runner Peter Snell and play provincial rugby against New Zealand’s most famous footballer Colin Meads. I will leave patrons to try and work out that man’s identity.

Anyway see you Sunday at Mt. Harding at 12 noon where remember the sun always shines.

Mike Heenan for Methven Trotting Club.

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