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Wilmott scores first blood in amateur series

By Joshua Smith, Harness News Desk Canterbury reinsman Blair Wilmott made the perfect start in the NZ Amateur Drivers Championship when taking out Heat 1 with Ticking Over at Cambridge Raceway on Thursday night. Wilmott took his charge straight to the lead off the gate where he was able to dictate terms throughout and score a comfortable 1-1/4 length victory. “We have got a pretty big weekend ahead of us with the five heats and to get a leg up tonight was pretty nice,” Wilmott said. “He is...

Bellatrix casts a spell at Cambridge

By Joshua Smith, Harness News Desk It’s been a long road to get Bellatrix to the races, but Adrienne Matthews’ patience finally paid off when her mare scored her maiden win in the Buteline Mobile Trot (2200m) at Cambridge Raceway on Friday. The daughter of Muscle Mass had shown plenty of promise as a youngster but was involved in a mishap as a juvenile that led to a long rehabilitation period and Matthews at one point thought she would never make it to the races. “I thought she was going t...

Near perfect result for Hopes

By Joshua Smith, Harness News Desk Trainers Greg and Nina Hope nearly went home with the perfect result at Cambridge Raceway on Thursday night. Muscle Mountain started the night off well for the Woodend Beach stable when taking out the Gr.2 Group 1 Turf Bar Trotters Flying Mile (1609m) before A G’s White Socks went down by just a nose to Hot And Treacherous in the Gr.2 McMillan Equine Feeds Pacers Flying Mile (1609m). “We were only a nose away (from getting the perfect result), it was great,...

One final northern mountain for southern trotter

By Joshua Smith, Harness News Desk Group One-winning trotter Muscle Mountain is set to have his final northern run at Cambridge Raceway this week before he heads for a spell in preparation for spring racing. The talented trotter has been in stellar form in the north, becoming a worthy adversary for the ever-dominant Sundees Son. Muscle Mountain got the better of his rival two starts back when winning over a mile at Alexandra Park, but Sundees Son equalled the northern ledger a week later when wi...

Harrison enjoying being back

By Joshua Smith, Harness News Desk Alicia Harrison enjoyed being back doing what she loves at Cambridge Raceway on Thursday – driving winners. The local horsewoman was involved in a horrific car accident in January when she was on her way to the Karaka Million race meeting at Ellerslie, which left her bed-ridden for several weeks after suffering a broken sternum and ankle. “It was extremely scary,” Harrison said. “We were driving up to the Karaka Million and there was a guy in a ute on t...

Favourite Self Assured too good in The Race

By Michael Guerin Champion horseman Mark Purdon only had one complaint after favourite Self Assured won New Zealand’s first ever slot race at Cambridge on Thursday night. “He should have won by more,” laughed Purdon after the $900,000 The Race by Grins. It was tongue in cheek but also a nod to the physical dominance of Self Assured as he overcame the widest barrier and having to sit parked for the last lap to win harness racing’s new glamour race. Kept out of the early burn as first Alta...

New Zealand’s richest harness Race this Thursday

New Zealand’s richest harness race, The Race by Grins (2200m) takes place at Cambridge Raceway this Thursday night. Carrying a stake of $900,000 it is the richest harness New Zealand has seen. It’s also the first harness slot race in Australasia and the first major slot race in New Zealand. The innovative feature race has attracted the best of the best when it comes to equine talent, from both sides of the Tasman. Four of the nine horses in the event have travelled from Australia: the only m...

Hezashadowplaya’s victory a tonic for Teaz

By Joshua Smith, Harness News Desk Hezashadowplaya put an end to what has been a pretty miserable last few weeks for trainers Jason and Megan Teaz when he won The Race 14th April, Tickets On Sale Now Mobile Pace (2200m) at Cambridge Raceway on Thursday. A virus went through their stable last month and to top things off Jason was also out of action for a period after contracting COVID-19. “Our whole team has been laid low with a virus for the last six or seven weeks,” Jason Teaz said. “We...

Paynter scores trotting trifecta

By Joshua Smith, Harness News Desk Local trainer Ross Paynter’s colours were to the fore in the Check Out The CR Hire Equipment Trot (2200m) at Cambridge Raceway on Thursday, making up the first three. Tourminator, Ngauruhoe and Itaintnecessarilyso were making their debuts and made the perfect start in securing the trifecta. Tourminator began well for driver Andre Poutama to take an early lead before he handed up to Ngauruhoe down the back straight. The son of Andover Hall was left untroubled ...

Grins get around The Race

Grins, the Ready To Drink alcoholic beverage created by All Black legend Stephen Donald and current All Blacks Anton Lienert-Brown and Damian McKenzie, is the naming rights sponsor of The Race. The Race by Grins, at Cambridge Raceway on Thursday April 14, is the first harness racing slot race in Australasia and New Zealand’s richest standardbred race with a stake of $900,000. “We’ve signed up for three years and we’re going to be with Cambridge Raceway every step of the way,” Stephen D...

Contrasting fortunes for The Race contenders at Addington and Auckland

By Michael GuerinThe All Stars team for harness racing’s new slot race may not be finalised just yet.Because after wins and losses at Alexandra Park and Addington on Friday night their options for the $900,000 The Race at Cambridge on April 14 seem to be growing.Trainers Mark Purdon and Hayden Cullen already have the favourite Self Assured in the new race and he was stunning winning at Alexandra Park.The fact he could come from last over the 1700m of The Founders and win so easily suggested he...

Chilcott posts poignant win

By BARRY LICHTER They say a picture is worth a thousand words and this image of Nicky Chilcott saluting to the heavens as Reign hits the winning post at Cambridge is a perfect illustration. In what Nicky later described as the most emotion-charged moment of her nearly three decades in the sulky, the expression on her face was enough to tell a remarkable story. It came just four days after part-owner Cliff Thomas died at the age of 90 and was on the eve of his funeral. The fairytale win with a tr...

Donnelly doubles up at Cambridge

By Joshua Smith, Harness News Desk It was a night of doubles for Arna Donnelly at Cambridge Raceway on Thursday night. The local horsewoman secured a quinella in the Waikato Cup (2700m) before she doubled up a race later, getting another quinella in The Race 14th April Mobile Pace (2200m). Rough And Ready led home the stable quinella in the Waikato Cup after a positive drive from David Butcher who took luck out of the equation when he sent his charge forward to the lead with two laps to go. He w...

Vale Cliff Thomas

By Barry Lichter Cliff Thomas had such a wide circle of friends his family could never have found a venue big enough to celebrate his life had it not been for Covid restrictions. But since Cliff died at the age of 90 at his Morrinsville home on Sunday night, they’ve had an even bigger headache trying to restrict to 100 people Friday’s gathering at the Kereone Rugby and Sports Club. That Cliff should be remembered there was logical given that in 1952 he helped carve out the Campbell Park grou...

Butcher scores first NZ training success

By Joshua Smith, Harness News Desk It was a night of celebration for Shane Butcher at Cambridge Raceway on Wednesday. The South Auckland horseman recorded his first New Zealand training success courtesy of Sharkine in the Team Teal Fundraiser 10 March At CR Mobile Pace (2200m). While pleased to get the win, Butcher was more animated for his partner Monika Ranger who reined home the mare, posting her second driving success. “When I was in Perth, I trained a winner over there, but it was pretty ...

Southern trotter takes gold at Cambridge

By Joshua Smith, Harness News Desk Bob Butt loves it when a plan comes off. The Woodend Beach trainer identified the Gr.3 Harcourts TA – Waikato Trotting Breeders’ Stakes (2700m) as a good chance to gain some black-type for his mare Gold Chain and she duly delivered at Cambridge Raceway on Friday. In the hands of local reinsman Matthew White, Gold Chain made a solid start from her 30m handicap. White sat patiently at the back of the pack before hopping on the back of Silver Power to sit in t...

Patient owners toast maiden success

By Joshua Smith, Harness News Desk Hey Bartender has been a test in patience for trainer James Stormont and his group of owners, but they were rewarded for their perseverance at Cambridge Raceway on Thursday. The four-year-old gelding was making his debut in The Clubhouse Hole In 1 Challenge Sundays Mobile Pace (2200m) and made the perfect start to his career, winning by 3-1/4 lengths. He didn’t have it all his own way. He was stuck in an early speed duel with Major Thomas before Stormont elec...

Sentimental win for Harrison

By Joshua Smith, Harness News Desk It was a special moment for local reinswoman Alicia Harrison as she saluted the judge following the Revell Douglas Memorial Junior Driver Series Mobile Pace (2200m) at Cambridge Raceway on Thursday night. Harrison reined home The Sportsman to win the race named in honour of Douglas, who passed away last year. Harrison had driven for the well-liked South Auckland horseman on several occasions and she said it was an honour to win a race named in his memory. “He...

Great Southern Star in the offing for Bolt For Brilliance

By Joshua Smith, Harness News DeskA trip across the Tasman could be on the cards for exciting trotter Bolt For Brilliance after his dominant win in the Gr.3 Les Harrison Transport Cambridge Flying Stakes (2200m) at Cambridge Raceway on Thursday. The son of Muscle Hill pressed forward early from his wide barrier and assumed control of the race with a mile to go. He was left unchallenged in front and ran away to a comfortable 4-1/2 length victory over Massive Metro, setting a n...

Sacred Mountain the latest trans-Cook winner

By BARRY LICHTER Nicky Chilcott’s rib injuries might have prevented her from driving Sacred Mountain to a dominant win at Cambridge on Thursday night but the call from delighted Melbourne owner Merv Butterworth after the race more than compensated for it. Chilcott, still nursing her injuries from a heavy crash from Monkey Selfie on Christmas Eve, took over the training of the Muscle Hill filly only two months ago, one of two horses Butterworth sent north from Southland under Cambridge’s summ...

Cambridge Raceway launch The Race

Cambridge Raceway is excited to announce the details of their highly anticipated slot race, simply named ‘The Race’ to be held on the April 14, 2022. The ground-breaking feature race is New Zealand’s first slot style race, a concept that has proved popular internationally, and Australasia’s first slot race in the harness racing code. The Race will carry a total stake of $900,000 in the first year, making it New Zealand’s richest harness race with prize money expected to surpass $1 mill...

Cliff Thomas celebrates 90th birthday

Cliff Thomas has been looking out for Nicky Chilcott from the time she packed her bags and ran away from home at the age of eight. So four decades later, when Cliff celebrated his 90th birthday with a group of long-time friends in Cambridge, the story of how he recognised her walking on the side of the road and took her home wasn’t the only one told over a few beers.Nicky will tell you that nobody has been more supportive of her career than Cliff, co-patron of the Waikato-Bay of Plenty Harness...

Cambridge double for Mangos

By Joshua Smith, Harness News Desk Brent Mangos celebrated the Auckland-Waikato border opening with a winning double at Cambridge Raceway on Thursday. The Pukekohe horseman opened his account courtesy of juvenile filly Ilovelucy, who broke through for her maiden win in the Ike Unsworth Bayleys Pace (2200m). It was the third start for the daughter of Sweet Lou, having placed on debut at Cambridge last month before finishing eighth at Alexandra Park. “She went a really good race,” said Mangos,...

Travel subsidy paying off at Cambridge

Recipients of Cambridge Raceway’s inter-island summer travel subsidy had a rewarding night at the Waikato track on Thursday. Tommysonaroll enjoyed victory in the Dunstan Recovery Mash Mobile Pace (2200m), while Yea You and Prince Envy recorded the quinella in the Merry Christmas From Dunstan Mobile Trot (2200m). All three horses benefited from the travel subsidy, which funds the return travel via TFS Horse Transport of up to two horses per trainer from the South Island to the Waikato to race a...

B D Joe continues Cambridge dream run

By Joshua Smith, Harness News Desk B D Joe continued his golden run at Cambridge Raceway on Thursday when he won the Dunstan Celebrates 35 Years Handicap Pace (2700m). It was the three-year-old’s fourth win from as many starts at the Waikato track, highlighted by his victory in the Gr.1 Harness Jewels 3YO Emerald (1609m) back in June. Beginning from behind the 35m tape B D Joe was tardily away, however, driver David Butcher didn’t have to press his charge too much to catch the field, with Bu...