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Todd pumped for Friday features

By Joshua Smith, Harness News Desk Regan Todd will be keeping close tabs on two venues on Friday. The Canterbury trainer has runners at both Nelson and Cambridge meetings, and he is particularly excited about the feature races on both cards. At the top of the South Island, Todd will contest the Nelson Pine Industries Nelson Cup (3000m) with in-form pacers Cheezel and That Alexander Guy. Further north, Group One winner Thefixer will be looking to rectify his late break in the Gr.1 Auckland Cup (3...

Local double for Donnelly

Cambridge trainer Arna Donnelly closed the year out in perfect style at her home track on Tuesday when recording a winning double, courtesy of New York Minute and Rough and Ready. New York Minute did it tough in the Downbytheseaside At Woodlands Mobile Pace (2200m), sitting parked for the majority of the race, but he was able to out tough his rivals and post a half-head victory over Happy Place in the hands of stable junior driver Alicia Harrison. Donnelly was pleased with the win, particularly ...

Gillies’ chances Betterthanyouthink

VIDEO: Ohoka Achilles winning at Cambridge on December 17....

Credit Master leading the local charge

Talented but erratic trotter Credit Master will be carrying the hopes of the locals when he contests the Gr.2 Group 1 Turf Bar Trotters Flying Mile Mobile Trot (1609m) at Cambridge Raceway on Thursday. The Cambridge trotter will meet a small but select field on Christmas Eve and will have his work cut out against the likes of Group One winner Sundees Son, Group One performer Majestic Man, and arguably the most exciting square-gaiter in this part of the world, Bolt For Brilliance. Credit Master h...

National mile record on line in Cambridge

- By Michael Guerin, NZ HeraldNew Zealand's premier trainer of trotters says the national mile record could be smashed at Cambridge on Thursday night.But Phil Williamson fears while his stable star Majestic Man may set up the record, one of the other two huge names in the race may benefit most in the Gr.2 Group 1 Turf Bar Flying Mile.The sprint sees the first clash of Bolt For Brilliance with Sundees Son and Majestic Man, the latter pair having set national records the last two times they have r...

Gold Cup returns to Cambridge

The running of the Cambridge Gold Cup will be returning to Cambridge Raceway, 14 years after it was last run.  The highlight event will be held at The Raceway's feature meeting of 2021 on Waitangi Day, Feb 6th. Established in 1958 and always run for pacers, the upcoming edition will be worth $15,000 and run as the Cambridge Cups Day Bayleys Whitianga Trotters Gold Cup (2700m) and the Farrier Supplies Pacers Gold Cup (2700m).  Each Gold Cup event will be run as the final ...

Herbert makes raceday return

Ricki Herbert is well-known for his association with football, coaching the All Whites to an historic World Cup campaign a decade ago, but on Thursday night he made a return to his other passion – harness racing. More than three decades ago Herbert developed a passion for the sport upon his return from playing international football when he started to help out his father Clive at his stable. “I had been overseas playing football and when I got back and wasn’t quite sure where to go or what...

Teaz stable armed heading into Cambridge

Megan and Jason Teaz will be hoping for another solid performance from Armed Reactor when he lines-up in the Dunstan Horse Feeds Mobile Pace (2200m) at Cambridge Raceway on Thursday night. The six-year-old gelding takes a solid form line into the race, with a win and five placings from his last six starts, and his trainers see no reason why he can’t produce a similar result this week. He has drawn barrier five in the six-horse field and Megan Teaz believes it will be a nice hit-out for the son...

Landmark moment for Waikato-Bay of Plenty Harness

The Annual General Meeting of Waikato-Bay of Plenty Harness marked a significant milestone for the club when it’s new board was elected on Monday night. A Special General Meeting was held in October to ask members to support both a new way of appointing the directors and a reduction in the overall board size. Members voted unanimously in favor of the proposal and on Monday night it was brought into action. Instead of the traditional model, where members vote for individual directors, the new p...

Cambridge juniors leading the way

Cambridge junior driver Luke Whittaker now sits atop the North Island junior driver points ladder after his victory behind Anam Nunu at Alexandra Park on Friday night. The Greg Shirley-trained mare was taken back from her wide draw by Whittaker to settle towards the rear of the field and with a lap to go Whittaker asked Anam Nunu to improve three-wide to sit outside leader and race favourite Jemma.  The duo kicked clear by several lengths turning for home and Anam Nunu was able to out tough...

Group Three status for Waikato Trotting Breeders’ Stakes

A group of Waikato trotting enthusiasts have been rewarded for their innovation, with the race they established this year, the Waikato Trotting Breeders’ Stakes (2700m), given Group Three status. The race was the brainchild of Cambridge Raceway board member Ken McGrath and his partner Melanie Barker, who were supported in the new venture by a group of local trotting enthusiasts. “Melanie, my partner, and I breed mainly trotters. We love the trotting gait,” McGrath said. “The trotting hor...

Cup victory for About Turn

Cambridge trainer Mike Berger took three horses south to Manawatu Raceway’s meeting on Tuesday and he was rewarded with a winning double. The night was headlined by About Turn’s gutsy win in the Mad Butcher Wairarapa Cup Mobile Pace (2000m). The five-year-old entire had his work cut out for him after drawing one on the second line, but under a patient drive by stable junior driver Luke Whittaker they bided their time at the rear of the field, Whittaker then launched his charge three-wide wit...

Victory was on the cards for Expensive Crumpet

Cambridge trainer Ross Paynter took two horses north to Alexandra Park’s meeting on Friday night and he almost went home with the perfect result. Expensive Crumpet started the night in perfect fashion when winning the Dunstan Speedfeed Summer Series Trot (2200m). The daughter of Quaker Jet made a slow but solid start and driver David Butcher was able to find a handy position four back on the fence before securing the one-one behind Tobruk. Butcher asked her to improve three-wide turning for ho...

Refreshed mare scores impressive Cambridge victory

A refreshed Presidential Jewel made an impressive return to Cambridge Raceway on Friday night when taking out the Loveridge Enterprise Builders Handicap Trot (2700m). The Roger Villiger-trained seven-year-old began well from the 20m mark and driver Joshua Dickie sent the mare forward off a sedate pace to take an early lead before handing up to Horace Horse. Horace Horse began to tire with two furlongs to go and Dickie was able to extricate Presidential Jewel from the trail and chase down race fa...

Addington test for exciting pacer

Cambridge conditioners Andrew and Lyn Neal have taken a few horses south to compete over New Zealand Cup week over the years, including Group One winner Flight South and Group Two winner Where Eagles Dare, and this year they are particularly excited about the prospects of talented pacer Alterior Motif. The four-year-old son of Sportswriter is undefeated in his two starts to date and his trainers are looking forward to testing him on the sport’s biggest day when he lines-up in the Avon City For...

Manners the key with Horace Horse

Clevedon trainers Barry Purdon and Scott Phelan are hoping promising trotter Horace Horse will bring his manners to Cambridge Raceway on Friday. The son of Quaker Jet broke twice in his last start at the Waikato track and his connections have their fingers-crossed that was an anomaly. “It was a bit unfortunate last time, he just threw his toys out of the cot. Hopefully it’s just the one start, he is usually pretty good with his manners,” Phelan said. “We will just forget about last time....

Taipo too good at Auckland

The Arna Donnelly-trained Taipo continued his impressive run of form at Alexandra Park on Friday when winning the United Cleaning Services Mobile Pace (1609m). It bolstered the four-year-old gelding’s career tally to two wins and three placings from six starts and Donnelly was rapt with the manner in which he won on Friday. The son of American Ideal was asked to do a fair bit of work in the early stages of the race, pushed forward three wide by driver Todd Mitchell to eventually wrestle the le...

Deserved victory for injury-plagued mare

The horse labelled with the biggest heart in Graeme Rogerson’s barn was finally rewarded with a win at Cambridge Raceway on Sunday. Splitting Image has gone through plenty of trying times throughout her career and Rogerson’s stable foreman and driver Dylan Ferguson was rapt with her one length victory in the Off Road Sponsors Driver Prize – Nov 6th Trot (2200m). “She has got the biggest heart of any horse we have got and there is no horse in the stable that deserves to win more than...

Snow returns to Cambridge

It may be nearing summer, but snow is back - Snow Weaver that is. After a seven year hiatus from the training ranks, the man behind star trotters Petite Evander and Pride of Petite made a winning return at Cambridge Raceway earlier this month with debutant Petitewillshine. Weaver was delighted with the win and said the four-year-old gelding favoured the left-handed way of going at Cambridge. “We had been having trouble getting him to go right-handed and he won two of his first three workouts l...

Toni Street wins on debut

Toni Street will have some bragging rights the next time she hosts Seven Sharp. Regular hosts Hilary Barry and Jeremy Wells both have racehorses who share their names, but it is Street whose namesake has recorded the first win of the trio. Hilary Barry, a four-year-old Bettor’s Delight mare, was unplaced in all of her seven starts in New Zealand before being exported to the United States, while Jeremy Wells, a four-year-old Sweet Lou gelding, is still in search of his maiden victory after 14 s...

Trotter set to peak at Cambridge

Brent Mangos is hoping promising trotter Elegant Peak will bring her manners to Cambridge Raceway on Thursday night when she lines-up in the Xmas Packages Are Selling Fast. Book Today Trot (2200m). The four-year-old mare finished runner-up on debut at Alexandra Park in July before breaking on a number of occasions at the Auckland track last start and was eventually pulled up by Mangos. “She hasn’t had a start for a wee while and made a couple of breaks last start,” Mangos said. “She did ...

Vale Colin Butler

Harness Racing has lost one of its stalwarts with the passing of Cambridge horseman Colin Butler. The 81-year-old enjoyed a long and successful career in the sport, which began in 1971 and continued up until last year upon the retirement of his Group One-winning trotter Charlemagne. As a driver, Butler saluted the judge on 614 occasions and continued driving well into his sixties, while he recorded 296 victories as a trainer. Many of those were recorded in his own right, but he also enjoyed stin...

Memorable treble for Stevens

There would be few people who visit the winner’s circle at Cambridge Raceway more than Jo Stevens, but on Saturday night it was for different reasons. The local trainer is usually busy interviewing drivers post-race for Cambridge Raceway’s Facebook page, however, on Saturday she was delighted to head there to take her place in the winner’s photo, not only once, but three times. It was the first time Stevens had recorded a winning treble and she said it will be a night she will never forget...

Cambridge date swap

The large numbers of horses racing in the North Island has prompted a dates change for the Waikato-Bay of Plenty Harness Racing Club.Cambridge Raceway’s 10-race meeting, originally earmarked for Tuesday 5 January, will now be held on Sunday 25 October, as a twilight meeting.“The ability to ensure a continued flow of opportunities for as many horses as possible is crucial to the viability of those horses and the ability to generate income for the industry,” said HRNZ Handicapper Andrew Morr...

Exciting pacer ready to resume

Exciting pacer Alterior Motif is nearing a raceday return after his eye-catching 6-1/4 length debut victory at Cambridge Raceway in June. His future looked set to be in Sydney after the victory, however, his sale fell through but that did not faze owner and co-trainer Andrew Neal. “They wanted to see him race again. It (the sale) could still be on,” said Neal, who trains in partnership with his wife Lyn. “I wasn’t worried about the sale, it will happen at some stage, meanwhile it’s nic...