Back to Blog

Purdon quinellas Futurity Stakes

Auckland trainer Barry Purdon brought three horses south to contest the Gr.2 JLT Cambridge Futurity Stakes (2200m) at Cambridge Raceway on Thursday night and was duly rewarded, taking out the quinella in the age group feature. Group One winner Jack’s Legend was sent forward off the gate by driver Scott Phelan before handing up the early lead to in-form stablemate On The Cards, who then dictated terms throughout. The duo distanced their rivals in the home straight, with Jack’s legend able t...

Harness action Turned Up at centenary meeting

Punters and public enjoyed a fantastic night of harness racing in 1920s theme at the Cambridge Raceway Centenary race meeting on Friday night. The feature race of the evening, the $60,000 Gr.2 McMillian Equine Feeds Waikato Flying Mile was won by last start Auckland Cup winner Turn It Up. He had too much speed for the leader, Star Galleria, up the passing lane, running a 26-second quarter to win in a relatively sedate 1.54.5. Remarkably, it was only the Australian-bred’s 10th career start a...

Centenary meeting attracts superstar line-up

There will be no shortage of fire power at Cambridge Raceway’s centenary meeting on Friday evening, with the milestone event attracting the cream of New Zealand harness racing to the Waikato venue. Cambridge Raceway chief executive Dave Branch elected to shift both the Gr.3 Harcourts (Te Awamutu) Cambridge Trotters Flying Stakes (1700m) and Gr.2 McMillans Equine Feeds Waikato Flying Mile (1609m) to the Centenary meeting, and that move looks to have paid dividends, with the meeting attracting s...

Herlihy strikes quinella in flying mile

Christmas came a little early for Tony Herlihy this year after he quinellaed the Gr.2 Group 1 Turf Bar Trotters Flying Mile (1609m) at Cambridge Raceway on Monday night. The Papakura horseman brought The Almighty Johnson and Temporale south to contest the feature mile on Christmas Eve, with the pair dominating proceedings. The Almighty Johnson led for the majority of the race after flying the gates from barrier two, while Herlihy applied pressure into the race at the 800m mark when he sent Tem...

Teenager gets up at Cambridge

There are few teenagers who experience as much success at Cambridge Raceway as Above The Rest. The thirteen-year-old mare won her third race of the season at the Waikato venue in the Ross Paynter Racing Stable Handicap Trot (2700m) on Thursday night and her trainer Willie Fleming is hoping to add to that tally in the coming weeks. Piloted for the first time by Andre Poutama, the daughter of Sundon was sent to the lead from her ace draw and was never headed, winning by 1-1/2 lengths over Little...

Cambridge Croquet Club still swinging

The Cambridge Croquet Club will go on as planned despite Cambridge Raceway’s application for a special liquor license for the area being refused by the Waipa Council District Licensing Committee. The Cambridge Croquet Club was created to provide the Cambridge community with a free immersive and family inclusive entertainment space to enjoy during the summer months. “Cambridge Raceway is proud to have been a part of Cambridge for 100 years and creating positive entertainment options to give b...

Munro loves the montes

The addition of Monte races to the northern trotting programme has given a new lease of life for aging Cambridge warhorse Burt Munro. The 12-year-old gelding was all set for retirement until there were whispers earlier this year of the introduction of the tote saddle trot. Trained at Cambridge by his part-owner Susan Branch, the 174 start veteran had been performing well in exhibition monte races and his connections felt compelled to press on with their charge to tackle the inaugural monte tote ...

Paynter brings up Century

Ross Paynter brought up a massive milestone at Alexandra Park on Friday night, recording his 100th win as a trainer, and the script couldn’t have been written more perfectly for the Cambridge horseman. The horse that managed to put him over the threshold was Lemond, who has come to mean so much to Paynter. The Cambridge trainer co-bred the son of Love You and sold him at the yearling sales to his first ever boss in the industry, legendary trainer Charlie Hunter. Paynter also picked up anoth...

Berger doubles-up at Cambridge

Cambridge trainer Mike Berger experienced a good night at his home track on Wednesday, recording two victories on the eight race card, doubling his winning tally for the season. Lightly-raced four-year-old Mach Little Soaky kicked off proceedings for Berger in the Harcourts Te Awamutu Mobile Pace (2200m), recording his maiden victory from just his second raceday start. The four-year-old son of Mach Three was given no favours in the running after being checked coming off the gate by runner-up R...

Bublitz wreaks Chaos at Addington

In her final season in Kidz Kartz, Cambridge driver Jordyn Bublitz was able to take out the Kidz Kartz New Zealand Cup at Addington earlier this month behind her pony Chaos. The 17-year-old horsewoman finished runner-up in the race last year and she was ecstatic to have gone one better in this year’s event. “It was amazing, it was very overwhelming at first,” Bublitz said. “It didn’t really hit home that I’d won it until we were in the winner’s circle, but it felt great. “I’ve ...

Lemond does Hunter proud in Dominion

Harness Racing legend and Cambridge local, Charlie Hunter, has fond memories of the Gr.1 Dominion Trot (3200m) and they were further enhanced with a brave third-placing by Lemond in the time-honoured race at Addington Raceway on Friday. Hunter part-owns the son of Love You, who is trained at Cambridge Raceway by his co-breeder Ross Paynter, and said he was pleased with his gelding’s efforts in the race, which was won in dominant fashion by the Ken Ford-trained Marcoola. “It was a strange r...

A night to remember for Smith

Craig Smith will forever hold a soft spot for Cambridge Raceway. The young Auckland-based horseman recorded his first win as a trainer at the Waikato track on Friday night when he reined home Whitehaven Beach to victory in the Buteline Plumbing Systems Mobile Pace (2200m). The win was a dream come true for Smith, who had nothing to do with horses until entering the industry five years ago. “It was a special night, it was a dream come true really,” Smith said. “I started five years ago,...

Young trainer off to a flyer

Young Cambridge horseman Kyle Marshall has hit the ground running in his first season of training. He recorded his fifth win from just 23 starts as a trainer on Thursday night when he reined home Pembrook Charlie to a two and a half-length victory in the Royden Williams Photography Mobile Pace (2000m) at the Manawatu Raceway. “I was rapt with the way he ran,” Marshall said. “He came off the gate really well and everything went in his favour. “The favourite (The Kapiti Express) gallope...

Hit and run mission for Donnelly duo

Cambridge trainer Arna Donnelly will take two strong chances south to Manawatu Harness Racing Club’s meeting at Manawatu Raceway on Tuesday, but has decided against staying down for the club’s second day on Thursday. “The main reason we are going down is for the maiden mare, Westburn Yield, and she’s probably not ready quite yet to race both days,” Donnelly said. “So we thought we would race her the one day and then wait until next week at Cambridge.” Formerly trained by Frank Co...

Successful return for Harrison

Cambridge reinswoman Alicia Harrison made a winning return to her home track on Thursday night when piloting home Womeninleague to win the Straw Warehouse Cambridge Mobile Pace (2200m).  Last season’s New Zealand Junior Driver Championship winner has been on the sidelines since the start of the season after sustaining a broken ankle at Alexandra Park and she said she was delighted with her successful return to driving.  “It’s definitely good to be back and good to be in the winne...

Club to mark Centenary in style

A great night of summer racing with plenty of atmosphere promises to entertain racegoers attending Cambridge Raceway’s January 11 meeting next year, which will mark the centenary of the Waikato-Bay of Plenty Harness Incorporated racing club. Established in 1919, the club has become an integral part of the Cambridge community. Not only has it become the epicenter for racing in the region, its facilities have also been widely utilised, including as a training camp for the New Zealand military du...

Long time between drinks for Rich

Regally-bred mare Rise To Success secured her first victory in more than two years in the Hanley Formula Junior Drivers Handicap Trot (2700m) at Cambridge Raceway on Thursday night, but it has been a little bit longer for her trainer Warren Rich.  It was his first training win since 2007 and the Hamilton conditioner, who quinellaed the 2002 Gr.1 New Zealand Cup (3200m) with Gracious Knight and Facta Non Verba when he trained in partnership with Mike Berger, said the win was very satisfying....

Exciting season ahead for Lemond

Cambridge trainer Ross Paynter is looking forward to an exciting spring with his Group One-winning trotter Lemond after his brave runner-up performance in the Otahuhu Club Mobile Trot (1609m) at Alexandra Park on Friday night.  The son of Love You set the early speed after trotting away well, but was tackled late by Temporale after a great tussle down the home straight, while seven-time Group One winner Speeding Spur was a length away in third.   “I’m very happy with him,” P...

Jackie bags first training win for Marshall

Alta Leonie’s win in the Natural Habitats Mobile Pace (2200m) at Alexandra Park on Friday night was an emotional one for Cambridge trainer Kyle Marshall.  The victory not only marked his first win as a trainer, but also the ten-year memorial of Alta Leonie’s namesake, Jackie Higgins, the late wife of part-owner Dave Higgins.  “I’m absolutely rapt with the win, it was good to have the family there and it was a good horse to do it on,” Marshall said.  “One of the owners,...

Brave northern win for Baquero

Cambridge trainer Arna Donnelly took just one horse north to Alexandra Park on Friday night, but that was enough to secure victory at northern headquarters. Shadow Play mare Baquero made it two wins from just three starts this campaign for Donnelly when she held out the fast-finishing Edamfast to win by a neck in the United Gaming Ltd Mobile Pace (2200m). It wasn’t all smooth sailing for the four-year-old after she paced away roughly from her outside barrier to settle at the tail of the eigh...

Matthews scores super start to new season

By Duane Ranger Glenbrook trainer Adrienne Matthews couldn't have wished for a better start to the 2018-2019 harness racing season after nailing two winners and a third from three starters at Cambridge Raceway on Thursday night. “It was a great night considering we only have about five of our 15 horses racing at the moment. I love training and this is quite rewarding,” she said. The Matthews trained Rainbow Wiri (Jay Abernethy) and Edamfast (Trent Lethaby) won the third and fourth races, whi...

Pacer turned trotter can win for Sharpe

By Duane Ranger It’s been almost nearly three years since Andrew Sharpe trained his last winner, but the 35-year-old could go one-for-one on opening night of the 2018-2019 Cambridge Raceway harness racing season on Thursday night. Sharpe, who is employed by Derek Balle in Pukekohe, will line up one of the likely favourites - My Boy Boo in the second event – the $7,500 Toni Swann Band Handicap for the up to R48 maiden trotters. The Franklin horseman said the former pacer, who is having just h...

Selections: Cambridge Raceway 02.08.18

Selections for the Waikato Bay of Plenty Harness first meeting of the season,Thursday August 2, at Cambridge Raceway are: by Duane Ranger Race 1: The CEO, Comic Book Hero, Scanreco Bay, Loud An Proud. Race 2: My Boy Boo, Pretorius, Sir George Bowen, Kimkar Dash. Race 3: Amigo Bromac, Lincoln Street, Rainbow Wiri, Coolie Kid. Race 4: The Big Cheese, The Lone Ranger, Western Delight, Lagertha. Race 5: Real Eagle, Jakira, Jack Bates, Jenora. Race 6: Baquero, New York Rain, Somethingaboutmary, Franc...

Cambridge drivers go one-two in NZ Jr Driving Champs

By Duane Ranger Alicia Harrison has been crowned the 2018 McMillion Equine Feeds New Zealand Junior Driving Champion and says her win is both unbelievable and unforgettable. “It’s undoubtedly the highlight of my career. Winning my first drive was something I’ll never forget, but this is even better than that. I have so many people to thank, especially the trainers who let me drive their horses throughout the series,” Harrison said. Harrison is just the third woman after Lauren Pearson (1...

Milestones met at last meeting of the season

By Duane Ranger It was an afternoon to remember at Cambridge Raceway on Sunday. Nineteen-year-old Morrinsville junior reinsman, Scott Iremonger, not only drove his first winner, but managed to nail it behind his father’s trainee - $48.90 outsider, Atom Hanover. “I’m still buzzing,” Iremonger said several hours after the race. “It’s taken me 13 drives and I’m so proud to have done it on Dad’s horse. He is my inspiration. “Dad has helped me from the day I got into the horses, an...