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The Last Gamble pays off

The Thames harness racing community may be small, but they were going off on Sunday after The Last Gamble’s win in the White Star Stables Mobile Trot (2200m) at Cambridge Raceway. The Dale Moore-trained and driven mare is one of only three horses trained at the Thames Raceway and Moore was delighted to get another win representing the Coromandel township. “I have got her and a young unqualified trotter called Mont Blanc who is just about ready to go to the workouts,” he said. “Rachel Hol...

Demolition Man a welcome distraction for Phillips

Demolition Man finishing second at Cambridge Raceway on September 10...

Standout night for Whittaker

Cambridge horseman Luke Whittaker experienced the biggest night in his burgeoning career at his local track on Thursday. Not only did he record his first win as a trainer with Chalberg, but later in the night he reined home Pull The Other Leg for employer Mike Berger to record his first driving double. “It was a really good night,” Whittaker said. “To get that first training win is something I have always wanted to achieve, especially in Ricki Herbert’s Dad’s colours.” Previously tra...

Berger holds strong hand at Cambridge

Cambridge trainer Mike Berger will be well represented at his home meeting on Thursday night when he lines-up seven runners at Cambridge Raceway. His charge will be led by Pull The Other Leg who will be vying for back-to-back victories in the Gregory Equine. Delivery Nationwide Mobile Pace (2200m). The four-year-old son of Sir Lincoln placed on debut before winning over 2200m at Cambridge Raceway last month and Berger is hoping for a similar result. “He has been going really well,” Berger sa...

Regally bred filly on song

I Got Music was on song at Alexandra Park on Thursday night when recording her maiden victory in the Lonestar Alex Park Performance Of The Night Handicap Trot (2700m). The daughter of multiple Group One winner Allegro Agitato stepped away well from the front mark and got into a cosy position three back on the pegs. Trainer and driver Kyle Marshall pulled her three-wide turning for home where she was able to gather in Miss Slippers to win by 1-1/2 lengths, with a further neck back to Natty Pagger...

White scores first solo training win

Matthew White was delighted to secure his first solo training win in New Zealand on Thursday when Carse O Fern Tom took out the Oktoberfest, 3rd October Mobile Pace (2200m) at Cambridge Raceway.The local horseman had been training in partnership with Mike Berger last season and previously trained in Western Australia, but getting off the mark on his own account in his homeland meant a lot to White.“It’s great to get that first win on the board, especially on the home track,” he said.“I t...

Siblings set to shine at Cambridge

Local trainer Kyle Marshall will line-up two daughters of multiple Group One winner Allegro Agitato at Cambridge Raceway on Thursday and he is expecting a bold showing from both mares. I Got Music will attempt to atone for her debut antics when she contests The Clubhouse Open 7 Days Handicap Trot (2200m). “She made a mistake last start, it was quite an ugly gallop,” Marshall said. “She had a trial at Cambridge on Saturday and she won that. “We gave her a few practice runs on Tuesday and ...

Successful Auckland mission for Military Man

A decision to send Military Man north to Alexandra Park’s Level 3 restricted meeting on Thursday night paid off for Cambridge trainers Andrew and Lyn Neal. The husband and wife team were the only trainers outside of the Auckland Super City boundary to record a victory on the night, with the four-year-old entire breaking maiden ranks in the Smith & Partners Mobile Pace (2200m). The Neal’s were pleased to get the win after a number of placings. “It was well overdue, but he went super,” Lyn...

Cambridge treble for Ferguson

Waikato horseman Dylan Ferguson went home a happy man from Cambridge Raceway on Saturday. The stable foreman for trainer Graeme Rogerson secured a winning treble for his employer, while also reining home a treble himself. “It was a great day, they all raced really well and we managed to bag a few winners,” Ferguson said. Rogerson’s treble was highlighted by She Reigns’ impressive 5-3/4 length victory in the Marcoola Standing At Nevele R Stud Handicap Trot (2700m). The daughter of Monarch...

Baker’s dozen for Donnelly

Local trainer Arna Donnelly will take her biggest ever contingent to a race meeting when she heads to Cambridge Raceway on Saturday. She will be represented by 12 of her own runners, but will also line-up debutant Jack Irish for trainers Barry Purdon and Scott Phelan, with the Clevedon-based duo unable to make it to the meeting as a result of COVID-19 Level 3 restrictions in Auckland. While it will prove a busy day for Donnelly, she said she will be ably assisted by a handful of helpers. “I ma...

Harrison off to a winning start

Cambridge junior driver Alicia Harrison began her season in winning fashion on Thursday night when reining home the Steve and Amanda Telfer-trained Mimi E Coco to win over 1700m at Alexandra Park. The daughter of multiple Group One winner Molly Darling took some solid workout form into her fresh-up assignment and her connections were confident with her chances from the ace draw. “She is a very smart horse and did it pretty easy,” Harrison said. “She was going really well and had a bit of f...

Cambridge partnership to dissolve

The training partnership between Cambridge horsemen Mike Berger and Matthew White will come to an end at the close of the season, with Berger electing to wind down his career. The Gr.1 New Zealand Cup (3200m) winning trainer collected his gold card last year and after speaking with former employee and long-time friend White, he convinced the then Australian-based horseman to return home and give training a crack in New Zealand. It wasn’t plain sailing for the pair this term, with White involve...

Lovely Bundy crowned Dunstan Cambridge Horse of the Year

Lovely Bundy has stablemate Cyclone S Adams to thank for taking out the Dunstan Horse Feeds Cambridge Horse of the Year competition. While the former Peter and Vaughan Blanchard-trained mare hasn’t raced since winning at Cambridge Raceway in January, she took a two point lead into the last meeting of the season at the Waikato track on Thursday. There were nine horses still in contention heading into the meeting, including Gr.2 NSW Trotting Derby (2400m) winner Xebec. The Benjamin Aubron-traine...

Whittaker hoping to get the chocolates this weekend

Luke Whittaker, one member of a determined trio of junior drivers intent on getting this year’s New Zealand Junior Driver Champs off the ground, is looking forward to his hard work coming to fruition this weekend. The Cambridge reinsman banded together with Alicia Harrison and Sheree Tomlinson to ensure the competition was retained after funding came under threat following the COVID-19 lockdown. “Myself, Alicia, and Sheree thought we would try and get some sponsors onboard and we have ended ...

Climactic conclusion to Horse of the Year competition

Cambridge Raceway’s meeting on Thursday will prove to be a nail-biting experience for a few owners and trainers. The night will finalise the winner of the 2020 Dunstan Horsefeeds Cambridge Horse of the Year competition and there remain nine horses in contention for top honours. Competition leader Lovely Bundy is the only horse of the nine contenders who will not be lining up on Thursday and Cambridge Raceway chief executive Dave Branch is excited about the large number of horses still in conte...

Louie The Horse rebounds from virus

The Andrew and Lyn Neal-trained Louie The Horse returned to winning form at Alexandra Park on Wednesday night. The three-year-old colt’s preparation was hampered by a virus after his first-up unplaced run in May, but he has rebounded in his subsequent two runs, with a placing and a win. “His first start back after COVID-19, on May 31, at Cambridge he raced really below par and we were really disappointed with him,” Cambridge-based Lyn Neal said. “But after running a blood on him we found...

Ferguson keeps hope alive

Dylan Ferguson has kept himself in the hunt for the New Zealand Junior Drivers Premiership after scoring a winning double at Cambridge Raceway on Wednesday night. The Waikato horseman reined home Sunset Red to win over 2200m for his employer Graeme Rogerson before steering stablemate Romanee to victory in the following race. “All of our horses have been racing really well, we just needed that bit of luck,” Ferguson said. “Sunset Red got a great trip. They went hard in front and it worked o...

Harrison eyeing hat-trick with Silk

Alicia Harrison is building a strong affection for the Steve Telfer-trained Silk. The Cambridge Raceway-based junior driver recorded her second successive win behind the mare at Alexandra Park on Wednesday night and she is looking to make it a hat-trick at Cambridge Raceway this week. “She went really well on Wednesday,” Harrison said. “I thought she was a lot sharper than the week before. “She is a real tough mare, but just lacks that bit of speed, so she really likes to run the gate an...

Trotter fires for Weaver at Cambridge

Our Spitfire might be lightyears away from some of the best trotters Frank “Snow” Weaver has been associated with, but her win over 2200m at Cambridge Raceway on Thursday was nonetheless satisfying for her owner. The Michelle Wallis and Bernie Hackett-trained mare broke badly in her previous outing at the Waikato track and a change of gear has worked wonders for the daughter of Majestic Son. “Two weeks ago when she broke, Bernie couldn’t hang on to her she was galloping that bad,” Weav...

Neals unearth another exciting pacer

Andrew Neal may have unearthed another star at Cambridge Raceway on Thursday night. The Cambridge horseman, who trains in partnership with his wife Lyn, drove Alterior Motif to an emphatic six length victory in his 2200m contest and he believes there is still plenty of improvement left in the son of Sportswriter. “He is still very green, he shied at a few things, but that is only natural for a first starter,” Neal said. “We have had to trial him a few times and taken our time to let him ma...

Sefonte hoping for some magic at Cambridge

Our Sunny Whiz took trainer Ken Sefonte to the pinnacle of his career when winning the Gr.1 Rowe Cup (3200m) 12 years ago and he is hoping her daughter Whimsical Whizard has inherited some of her star quality. The three-year-old filly will make her debut in the Host Your Special Event At Cambridge Raceway Trot (2200m) on Thursday and Sefonte is confident of a solid first-up run. The daughter of Majestic Son has finished runner-up in both of her trials to date, including a 2500m hit-out at Pukeko...

Form Guide - Jason Teaz

Jason Teaz gives his form comments for the meeting at the Cambridge Raceway on Thursday June 23....

Double M Stables set for imminent raceday return

The first half of 2020 has been one to forget for Cambridge Raceway-based horseman Matthew White. It started in the worst possible fashion when he was involved in a horrific race crash at Cambridge Raceway in January. White sustained bleeding on the brain, a concussion, and three fractured vertebrae, which resulted in his absence from the track until the end of March. Just two meetings back the COVID-19 pandemic caused racing and New Zealand to shut down for two months. While frustrated with the...

Aubron scores first New Zealand win

Frenchman Benjamin Aubron can now add a New Zealand training victory to his burgeoning racing CV. The 28-year-old trainer has already tasted success in his homeland and Australia, and added New Zealand to the list when Xebec took out the Farmlands Handicap Trot (2700m) at Cambridge Raceway on Thursday. The son of Orlando Vici began well from the 35m mark and under a patient drive from Zachary Butcher he was able to reel in his opposition and run away to a comfortable 3-1/2 length win over Leesa ...

Form Comments - Jason Teaz

Jason Teaz provides his picks and form comments for Thursday's (11th June) meeting at the Cambridge Raceway. Race 17 Mister Slick 4 The Batmobile 6 Marianna Bromac 9 EdamfastRace 26 Cee Whatadelight 4 Girls Are Best 9 The Honey Queen 1 Sunset RedRace 37 He's A Ladies Man 1 Russley Rush 10 Betterbebetter 5 Olivia RachelRace 413 The Greenkeeper 2 Johnson Step 6 Hawthornden Hunk 3 Triple FourRace 52 Silk 4 Jive 10 Golden Lace 9 Emmi RoseRace 69 Bar Room Brawl 11 Xebec 12 Delson 2...