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Angel gets up for Cossey

By Joshua Smith, Harness News Desk Cambridge Raceway stalwart Donald Cossey had a memorable night at his home track on Thursday night when returning to the winner’s circle as a trainer for the first time in nearly 20 years. Cossey is a familiar face around the Waikato track, having driven the mobile on racenight for more than 15 years as well as being the track farrier. “I was shoeing horses and worked for the Cambridge trotting track for a few years,” Cossey said. “I was the course farr...

Southern trip in the offing for progressive filly

By Joshua Smith, Harness News Desk Progressive filly The Honey Queen will be out to continue her burgeoning form line when she contests the Nevele R Filles Series Heat 5 Mobile Pace (1700m) at Cambridge Raceway on Thursday. The daughter of Group One-winning mare Tosti has won three of her nine starts to date, and placed in two others, including a runner-up effort in the Gr.1 Northern Oaks (2700m) two starts back. She subsequently went on to post her third win at Alexandra Park last start and tra...

New York Minute takes gold

By Joshua Smith, Harness News Desk Consistent pacer New York Minute extended his winning record this season to six when taking out the City of Palmerston North Festival Gold Cup (2500m) at Manawatu Raceway on Thursday night. The Arna Donnelly-trained gelding sat midfield for driver David Butcher for the majority of the race before he was asked to improve three-wide shortly after the bell. He assumed the lead down the back straight and was able to hold off the late challenge of American Me to win...

Iconic IRT Harness Jewels return to Cambridge Raceway

The IRT Harness Jewels will return to Cambridge Raceway on Queen’s Birthday weekend with the feature race meeting taking place on Sunday June 6, 2021. This season defining event, crowning harness racing's champions, features the best age group races for pacers and trotters, with nine Group One races over 1609m worth a staggering $900,000 in total stakes money. “We’re really excited to have this iconic race meeting back in Cambridge,” Cambridge Raceway CEO Dave Branch said. “It’s a br...

History awaits Herlihy

By Joshua Smith, Harness News Desk Tony Herlihy, one of New Zealand’s most revered horsemen, had a near perfect night at Cambridge Raceway on Thursday, but it was not quite enough to bring up a significant milestone. The South Auckland horseman trained and drove a treble in the first three races at Cambridge Raceway, bringing up his 999th victory as a trainer. He went into the night’s feature race, the Dinny Johnstone Waikato Guineas Mobile Pace (2200m), with $1.80 favourite Last Tango In He...

Rowe in high spirits after 100th win

By Joshua Smith, Harness News Desk Wairarapa dairy farmer Glen Rowe celebrated his 100th win as an owner when Spirit Of Anzac won at Cambridge last week. “It was awesome,” Rowe said. “Every race is huge, I just love the sport.” Rowe has been a long-time supporter of Cambridge trainer Mike Berger, with all his wins coming in the veteran horseman’s silks. Their association spans nearly 40 years and was instigated by Rowe’s friendship with Berger’s brother, Laurie. “Mike’s brother...

Telfer treble at Cambridge

By Joshua Smith, Harness News Desk Steve and Amanda Telfer loved a pattern at Cambridge on Thursday night. Not only did the brother-sister duo secure a winning treble, but their silks also finished third in each of those races as well. Debutant Allamericanlover kicked off the night for the South Auckland trainers with a win in the Black Dog Furniture Mobile Pace (2200m). The American Ideal filly began strongly, albeit greenly, from her wide gate to take an early lead for driver Benjamin Butcher....

Poutama duo primed for Cambridge

VIDEO: Jimmy Richter placed third at his last start at the Manawatu Harness Racing Club....

Cambridge Double for Auckland raiders

By Joshua Smith, Harness News Desk While at the eleventh-hour Clevedon horseman Scott Phelan was denied from driving at Cambridge Raceway’s meeting on Thursday, he still went home a winner. Phelan, who trains in partnership with Barry Purdon, secured a winning double early on the card with Be My Rose and Montana Jet. Harness Racing New Zealand sought clarification with the Department Of Internal Affairs (DIA) around inter-regional travel between Waikato and Auckland, who is currently under COV...

Statement regarding the March 4 Waikato-BOP Harness Inc meeting

The board of Waikato Bay of Plenty Harness Inc. are aware that several Auckland-based industry participants have gained government exemptions which allow them to travel from Auckland to Cambridge to attend our meeting on Thursday.  We don’t agree that this travel is essential as has been proven in previous Covid-19 lockdowns and as such we have requested that Auckland-based participants do not attend Thursday’s meeting.  The implications of a potential Covid-19 outbreak at Cam...

Sentimental win for Ken Breckon

By Joshua Smith, Harness News Desk It was an emotional night for Ken Breckon at Alexandra Park on Friday. After 18 years the Breckon Farms principal won the race named in honour of his late brother, the Gr.2 Peter Breckon Memorial Caduceus Club Stakes (2200m). Breckon’s fawn colours were carried to victory by dual Group One winner Bettor Twist, with the Hayden Cullen-trained filly running down La Rosa to win by half a head in the hands of Tim Williams. While every edition of the race for nearl...

Local treble for Butcher

By Joshua Smith, Harness News Desk It was a night for the locals at Cambridge Raceway on Thursday, led by local horseman David Butcher who reined home a winning treble. He opened his account in his own silks when Claudia Schiffer took out the Wisteria Lane Nail Boutique Clinic Mobile Pace (2200m). The daughter of Sportswriter was sent forward early and assumed the lead from the breaking Little Suzie, who driver Benjamin Butcher was able to settle relatively quickly. Claudia Schiffer had a comfor...

Frampton eyeing maiden training win

By Joshua Smith, Harness News Desk Cambridge horseman Rodney Frampton is vying to record his first training win when Monkee Around lines-up in the Racebook Donations Supporting Team Teal Mobile Pace (2200m) at Cambridge Raceway on Thursday. It will be the Art Major mare’s debut run for the stable and Frampton is hopeful of a bold showing after a couple of pleasing workout results, including a win at her hometrack on Saturday. “She has had a couple of workouts and she went quite nice in her w...

Local trotter to the fore at Cambridge

By Joshua Smith, Harness News Desk As Free As Air finally found some luck at Cambridge Raceway on Thursday night and took advantage of it. The Ross Paynter-trained mare has had a bad run of things of late, highlighted by losing driver Andre Poutama in the Trotters Gold Cup at Cambridge last Saturday. Poutama was back in the bike on Thursday and the pair had no such trouble this time, taking a front-running role and holding on for a three-quarter length victory over The Last Gamble, with Our Grac...

Jewels aspirations for Pull The Other Leg

By Joshua Smith, Harness News Desk Local pacer Pull The Other Leg will be out to continue his impressive run of form at Cambridge Raceway on Thursday when he lines-up in the Helen Gray Memorial Mobile Pace (2200m). The Mike Berger-trained gelding has featured in the money in all nine of his starts, including three visits to the winner’s circle. The Sir Lincoln gelding recorded his third victory at Cambridge Raceway on Saturday and Berger was pleased with his performance. “It was a good run o...

Further honours for Ted Edwards in 2021

One of New Zealand harness racing's unsung heroes got his biggest wins in years when Silver Power won the Gr.3 Waikato Trotting Breeders' Stakes at Cambridge on Saturday night. And minutes later Ted Edwards got a call trying to buy the mare. “It was some bloke from overseas keen to buy her and he said name your price,” Edwards tells HRNZ.“But I told her she is too well bred and too good so we are keeping her.” That ability was on display in the capacity field Group Three trot as Silver P...

Rogerson barn prospecting Cambridge Gold

By Joshua Smith, Harness News Desk Cambridge Raceway is set to host one of its biggest nights on the racing calendar this weekend and a local horseman is hoping his stable can feature prominently. Hamilton trainer Graeme Rogerson will be represented by a handful of runners on the nine-race card on Saturday and stable foreman Dylan Ferguson believes there a couple of winning hopes amongst them. Eight-win mare She Reigns will lead the charge for the stable in the meeting’s feature race, the Gr.3...

She Reigns out for crowning glory

By Joshua Smith, Harness News Desk She Reigns made a statement at Cambridge Raceway on Thursday night ahead of her tilt at a couple of mares’ stakes races next month. The Graeme Rogerson-trained five-year-old blew her opposition away when winning the Bayleys Coromandel Cambridge Gold Cup (Qual) Hanidcap Trot (2200m) comfortably by 5-3/4 lengths. The daughter of Monarchy began well from her back mark of 35m and navigated her way around a few early breakers. She then sat parked for the majority ...

American Me vying for gold

VIDEO: American Me winning at the Cambridge Raceway on January 14....

First double for Webber

By Joshua Smith, Harness News Desk Raglan trainer Chris Webber normally wins a couple of races a season, so he was over the moon when he recorded a winning double at Cambridge Raceway on Thursday. “It doesn’t happen very often,” he said. “It’s hard enough to get one win, let alone two.” He got off the mark with Bugalugs in the Check Out The Corporate Packages @ Podium Lodge Mobile Pace (2200m). The seven-year-old gelding was given a perfect trip throughout in the one-one by driver Pe...

Hot And Treacherous thriving at Cambridge

VIDEO: Hot and Treacherous winning at the Cambridge Raceway earlier this month....

Demolition Man a bridesmaid no longer

By Joshua Smith, Harness News Desk Demolition Man has been the perennial bridesmaid for much of his career, but that title was shed at Cambridge Raceway on Thursday when he was victorious in the Kidz Kartz Course Starts Jan 18 Book Today Trot (2200m). The five-year-old entire had finished runner-up in half of his previous 22 starts, but it was lucky number 23 that had his connections celebrating an elusive win. The Majestic Son entire began well from his wide draw and took an early sit behind Ke...

Consistent trotter out to demolish maiden field

VIDEO: Demolition Man finishes runner up at his last start at the Cambridge Raceway earlier this month....

Copy That takes off at Cambridge

By Joshua Smith, Harness News Desk Trainer Ray Green felt a sense of relief as he watched his pride and joy Copy That take out the Gr.2 McMillian Equine Feeds Flying Mile (1609m) at Cambridge Raceway on Friday night. The exciting pacer has been luckless in his last few starts, but he was finally dealt a good hand in Friday’s feature and he didn’t disappoint. Driver Maurice McKendry launched the son of American Ideal off the gate from his handy draw of three to take an early lead. McKendry ke...

Williamson hoping for majestic finish to NZ campaign

By Joshua Smith, Harness News Desk Majestic Man will be out to end his New Zealand summer on a high at Cambridge Raceway on Friday before testing the waters on the other side of the Tasman. The Phil Williamson-trained gelding has been in scintillating form this season, finishing unplaced in just two of his 11 starts, and winning on two occasions, including the Gr.3 Ashburton Flying Mile (1609m) and Gr.2 Trotters Flying Mile (1609m) at Cambridge on Christmas Eve. The son of Majestic Son subsequen...