News Briefs : May 31

[Wandering Eyes]

300 for Wallis/Hackett

Bernie Hackett and Michelle Wallis brought up their 300th training success when Five O’Clock Gerry won his northern debut at Alexandra Park on Friday night. Daughter Crystal Hackett drove the perfect race, positioning the What The Hill in the trail before zipping up the passing lane to win by three quarters of a length. It was the horse’s first win and came after six placings from seven starts down south. The Wallis-Hackett team have been training winners since 2012. Before that Wallis had 323 winners between 1999 and 2012, and Hackett had 123.

Copy That goes past $500,000

Dual New Zealand champion Copy That has become the first harness racing horse to surpass half a million dollars this year. Fourth in last Friday’s Auckland Cup, won by Akuta, Copy That has now accrued $512,280 this year with the unbeaten Millwood Nike second on $268,641. Millwood Nike has won all 14 of her career starts.

Terry’s moved to Oz

The well-performed Terry will do his future racing in Australia, after recently being sold. A winner of seven from 39 he last raced in the Uncut Gems at Addington, finishing ninth behind Anything Goes. The six-year-old is by three-time New Zealand Cup champion Terror To Love out of Carania.

Ex Kiwis shine at trials

A couple of high-class former Kiwi pacers have sparkled at the Menangle trials. Jack Trainor’s Group 1-winning mare Braeview Kelly and Jason Grimson’s exciting open-class pacer Major Meister hit the line together in a 1min52.5sec mile trial. Braeview Kelly had a neck to spare as the pair dashed home in 54.6 and 26.3sec.Both are sure to head north for a string of feature races at the rich Queensland Constellations at Albion Park in July.

Marshall wins again

Former Kiwi horseman Kyle Marshall is starting to make his mark in Victoria. Not long after training his first winner from his new Cranbourne base, Marshall scored an upset win as a driver aboard the Scott Ewen-trained Im Jimmy James at $31 at Melton on Saturday night. His first winner was Wharewhiti at Shepparton last week. I’m Jimmy James had four wins from 51 starts in this country before going across the Tasman in 2020.

OK Boomer wins Aussie debut

Nathan Jack built on his impressive strike rate with Kiwi imports when former All Stars’ pacer OK Boomer led throughout to win his Aussie debut at Melton over the weekend.The son of Bettors Delight won two of his 11 NZ runs and defied a betting drift to just stave off some handy rivals.

Syndicate win number 100

It was win number 100 for the Griffins syndicate when Majestic Love won at Addington on Friday night. The syndicate is one of the country’s most successful. Its first winner was Rugged Cross at Invercargill in 2011 while the biggest winner has been Majestic Man, who’s won 24 races and more than $800,000.

Winners are grinners

TVNZ sports reporter Guy Heveldt and Peter Ferguson (Hoofin Around) were the jubilant winners of the media dual sulky race as part of Auckland /Rowe Cup night at Alexandra Park last Friday. Both raised their arms in victory as they crossed the finish line, ahead of Stephen Donald and Jay Abernethy (Winners Are Grinners), Lachie McLeod and Benjamin Butcher (Twinkle Toes) and Scotty Stevenson and Andre Poutama (The Garden Shed).

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