News Briefs : Nov 17

[Wandering Eyes]

Betting’s big week

Despite Covid restrictions, betting turnover held up well over the New Zealand Cup carnival, with the weekly total at over $11m. Cup day itself turned over about $5.4m, with Show Day second at $2.9m, with Sunday’s Winton meeting just shy of a million dollars ($999,008). The weekly total of $11,234,855 was about a million dollars down on last year.

Sundees Son’s sizzling Dominion

Just to put Sundees Son’s Dominion demolition into perspective his time last Friday was one of the fastest 3200 metres ever recorded in this country. The superstar trotter won in 3.56.6, eclipsing his old record set a year earlier by four seconds. That puts him in elite company, with the national record held by Lazarus (3:53.1) – 2016 NZ Cup. Others to have recorded super quick times have been Classie Brigade (3:53.3)- 2017 Invercargill Cup, Adore Me (3:54.6) – 2014 NZ Cup, Dream About Me (3:55.4) – 2016 Auckland Cup, and Changeover (3:56.4) – 2008 NZ Cup.

Half ton for Thornley

Chris Thornley chalked up his 50th training success when daughter Gemma guided Charlie’s Ace home at Ashburton last Thursday. The four-year-old mare paid $27.40. It was Thornley’s 29th training win on his own account, to go with the 21 he got in combo with his father Robin, starting in the mid 1990s.

Lethaby hits a dozen

Two expat Kiwis are combining to do good things in Queensland. This month the Trent Lethaby-trained Red Castleton won a Group 3 and then finished second in a Group 2. The 24-year-old Lethaby has had 12 training successes since moving across the Tasman while Red Castleton had five wins for the Wallis-Hackett team before going to Australia in November last year.

Dunn and Ryder do it again

Niki Hill will have one last start for the year in North America, after winning her eighth race from nine starts. The expat Kiwi combo of trainer Chris Ryder and Dexter Dunn struck again at the Meadowlands with Niki Hill winning the $220,110 Kindergarten Classic Final for two-year-old pacing fillies last weekend in 1:50.4. The filly’s last race of the year will be the Three Diamonds, also at the Meadowlands this weekend. Dunn is the highest earning driver in the USA with total stakes of $11.7m, $300,000 more than closest rival Tim Tetrick.

Club News :

Stallion tender : Thanks to ALABAR NZ, the Kaikoura Trotting Club is pleased to be able to offer the following stallion for tender:

· One service to Art Major (valued at $14,000)

For enquiries and copy of Tender Form please contact Geraldine Stanbury 021 351 615 or email on kaikouratc@xtra.co.nz

Motukarara AGM :

The Motukarara Trotting Association’s 2021 AGM will be held tonight, Wednesday November 17 at 6.30pm at Motukarara Racecourse.

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