The New Zealand Racing Board announced today that it is to
extend its commingling agreements with Tabcorp to include
commingling on Friday night harness racing not currently
broadcast via Sky Channel in Australia.
Tabcorp currently takes two to four New Zealand harness
races each Friday and broadcasts those races on Sky Channel.
From Friday 23 May, Tabcorp will extend their Friday
wagering schedule to include commingling on an entire New
Zealand harness meeting.
“These additional races won’t be broadcast on Australia’s
Sky Channel but Tabcorp customers will be able to place a
win, place and quinella bet on New Zealand’s Friday night
harness racing into the commingled New Zealand pool. This
will significantly increase the pool liquidity for New
Zealand TAB customers”, said Graeme Hansen, Chief Executive
Officer of the New Zealand Racing Board.
Edward Rennell, General Manager of Harness Racing New
Zealand has welcomed the move. “Greater exposure of New
Zealand harness racing, particularly our premier meetings,
will be of great benefit to our industry. New Zealand
harness horses competing in Australia attract plenty of
interest and we are delighted to give Australian punters the
opportunity to follow these horses on their home turf.”
The New Zealand Racing Board and Tabcorp have successfully
trialled this type of arrangement with New Zealand
thoroughbred racing on Saturday’s.
“Under our current agreement, Tabcorp is committed to taking
four New Zealand thoroughbred races every Saturday. From 9
June 2008, Tabcorp will offer wagering on all Saturday New
Zealand thoroughbred racing from 11am,” said Mr Hansen.
“The expansion of TAB betting on New Zealand Friday night
harness racing provides Tabcorp’s customers with greater
choice,” said Tabcorp's Managing Director of Wagering,
Robert Nason.
“Betting on New Zealand harness racing continues to be
popular with Tabcorp customers and forms a key element of
our international wagering offer.”
Christchurch horseman, Gavin Cook has taken out the World
Amateur Driving Championships that have recently been held
in North America. Twelve countries competed in the annual
event – New Zealand, USA, Canada, Australia, Denmark, The
Netherlands, Germany, Norway, Austria, Hungary, Czech
Republic and Spain.
Cook was tied second overall on the final night along with
Teddy Wang from Denmark. The USA’s representative, David
Siegel, lead the competition into the final but his horse
broke leaving the field open for Cook and Wang to fight it
out. Cook surged ahead and won by three-quarters-of-a-length
driving Kinetic Kid, a seven-year-old mare.
Cook is a huge supporter of Amateur Driving in New Zealand.
He also holds a trainer’s license and runs the South Island
branch of the Amateur Driving Association. He was crowned
the 2004 Canterbury Amateur Champion along with winning the
NZ Amateur Championships in 2007, securing his spot as a NZ
representative in America.
Thanks to the communicative efforts of Cambridge Raceway and
trainers, HRNZ is already at the stage where it can release
“shadow” GCT Harness Jewels line ups.
The draws will be done at midday on Friday but already the
make-up of field are 99% confirmed.
The only area of uncertainty surrounds the 3YO Ruby, where a
decision by trainer Paul Nairn on whether to leave Brite N
Up in the field will rely on his work on Thursday morning.
Should Brite N Up come out, then the Michelle Wallis-trained
Featherflight will step in as the emergency for the race.
The below GCT Harness Jewels races are in the correct order
and show the actual race start time.
In a similar vain to his namesake, in the book, Tintin In
America, the Geoff Small trained two-year-old colt travelled
a fair distance to get his goal last Friday at Addington-
Tintin In America won the Garrards – Nevele R Sires Stakes
Final in a record time over one of the brightest bunch of
two-year-olds in recent seasons. We are long used to one or
two horses dominating this category in recent seasons but
the matchup between Tintin In America, Sir Clive, Highview
Tommy and Stunin Cullen was a dream one that guaranteed an
exciting race.
Tintin In America, was astutely driven, as is generally the
case, by David Butcher in the big races. Butcher used the
McArdle colt’s speed to cross to the lead early before
handing over to Stunin Cullen. He was caught in a pickle
briefly when three back the markers after Sir Clive made his
move to lead but Butcher jumped into the one-one running
down the back straight and from there he looked ominous.
Tintin In America came widest to overhaul a tremendously
game Highview Tommy and Sir Clive before running out a
length winner.
The winning time of 2.20.5 smashed the previous record set
in the same race five years earlier by Likmesiah.
Race favourite Stunin Cullen couldn’t back up his win of a
week earlier. The Cullen colt raced too keenly for his own
good in the early sections of the race and in what turned
out to be a record run your can’t afford to do that. Stunin
Cullen finished sixth, beaten but not disgraced.
Robbie Holmes knew he had something special when Kiwi
Ingenuity was first presented at the races for a luckless
third at Nelson in January. The Christian Cullen filly
showed rare dash late in that race and from that day the
only time she’s missed a placing was at her second start,
when desperately unlucky.
Since the luckless start to her career Kiwi Ingenuity has
gone from strength-to-strength. Her NZ Record-breaking win
in the Southland Oaks was a coming-of-age for her and that
form carried on with a bold third in the Nevele R Fillies
Final before her greatest performance in winning the Group
One Wayne Francis Memorial NZ Oaks.
Kiwi Ingenuity was driven with supreme confidence by her
trainer Robbie Holmes and that was vindicated as she “did it
in style” according to her trainer/driver.
Kiwi Ingenuity worked to the lead inside the last lap and
turned the wick up on her rivals. Surprisingly one of the
first to feel the pinch was last week’s winner Badands
Jewel.
Angela’s Dream was the best of chasers, pushing the winner
up the straight but the leggy filly had the break and held
well. Southern filly Natal Franco continued her upward
incline with a solid placing. Harness Jewels leader
Eyecatcher Courage battled into eighth place, just behind
Lizzie Maguire in seventh.
The eye-catching run of the race came from Safin who was
back in the rear bunch leaving the back straight but made up
a huge chunk of ground in the straight to grab fifth. She
could be one to watch out for in the Harness Jewels in two
week’s time.
Fight Fire With Fire was luckless also. She got home well
after being tangled up in a melee on the home bend.
Spreydon Lodge mare Nearea Franco threw down the gauntlet
even more to the nation’s top rated four-year-old mare, One
Dream, on Friday at Addington.
Nearea Franco continued her blazing form with a near record
win over Ebony Gem and Cut And Style in and 4 & 5 win Mobile
1950m.
Trainer Steven McRae elected to remove the half-blinds last
week off Nearea Franco so she didn’t get too “fired up”
pre-Jewels and it worked a treat. Nearea Franco and pilot
Craig Thornley dropped out of the early speed battle and
with a lap to run she was dead last.
A quick cart into the race changed its complexion but as
Nearea Franco moved up to sit three-wide without cover over
the last 800m she had one of the most devastating sprinters
on her back in Ebony Gem.
This made little difference as she forged to the lead
rounding the home turn and held off a gallant bid from Ebony
Gem. An evergreen Cut An Style made ground for third,
ensuring her Jewels campaign was ticking over well.
Such has been her impressive form in recent weeks Nearea
Franco’s latest Harness Jewels Odds have caved into $2.00,
making her a dominating favourite now over One Dream who was
again in winning form at the Cambridge workouts on the
weekend.
The Geoff Small-trained Awesome Armbro enjoyed his second
win in a row, taking out the 1950m Heller Small Goods
Free-For-All on Friday at Addington, setting a NZ Record in
the process.
Driven by David Butcher who posted his second win for the
night, Awesome Armbro began well to sit parked and then with
1100 metres to go take the lead.
Once on the home straight, it was all out war between
Awesome Armbro and London Legend, with Awesome Armbro the
victor, clocking a time of 2.20.2, 0.3 seconds off the
previous record holder Rameses.
Awesome Armbro a five-year-old gelding by Armbro Operative
out of Abbeybell, has won 14 races from 47 starts and is
sitting just shy of $300,000 in earnings for owners, the
A.T.C Trot 2005 Syndicate.
Arden’s Darlin enjoyed her second win on Friday at Kumeu
Trotting Clubs’ meeting at Alexandra park taking out the
1700m Angland Ceiling Contractors Mobile Pace.
Trained by Mark Purdon and Grant Payne, the two-year-old
filly stamped her domination on the upcoming Jewels by
jumping up from fourth place on the leaderboard to second
behind Arden Banner.
Driven by Scott Phelan, Arden’s Darlin was quickly away from
the mobile to work forward and take the lead. Once in the
lead Arden’s Darlin dictated the race. Slowing the pace
fractionally Arden’s Darlin waited until the final quarter
to quicken, recording 27.5 seconds and winning the race by
one-length over Twist N Shout and World Of Dreams for third.
Arden’s Darlin is a relation to the 2YO Diamond tour leader
Arden Banner, as the suffix states they are from the same
stud but Arden’s Darlin’s Granddam is Arden Banners dam.
Come “Jewels” day will it be a quinella for breeders, mother
and son Noreen and John Stiven.
Pompallier hasn’t been seen in the winners’ circle since
March 2007, but that all changed last Friday when the
multiple Group winner graced the birdcage after taking out
the 2700m Neville Newcomb Insurance Brokers Handicap Trot.
Trained and driven by Richard Brosnan, the Sundon gelding
started from ten-metres and stepped away well. Brosnan
worked the ten-year-old to the front and Pompallier dictated
the terms from then on.
Once on the turn for home, favourite Romper Stomper looked
to challenge the leader but Pompallier dug-deep and battled
home to win by half-a-neck, Romper Stomper stormed in for
second and Summer Man some lengths behind for third.
Brosnan also enjoyed his first win for a while, a virus in
the stable can account for the recent downturn in stable
form. Pompallier can now go out into the spelling paddock on
a high, his lifetime wins are 20 from 88 starts and has
earned $385,564 in stakes over his six-year career.
Dexter Dunn has been sitting on 99 wins for over a week, but
he reached the significant milestone last Saturday at
Invercargill when driving Alta Camilla for Paul Kerr.
This was Alta Camilla’s fifth win this season, but it wasn’t
enough to secure her a place in the Harness Jewels. She is
sitting in 13th place, so unless one of her peers is
withdrawn or there is a scratching, she will not be
appearing at Cambridge on the 31st May.
Invercargill saw Dunn post his 101st win driving Bettor’s
Strike for employer Cran Dalgety. This was the horse that
got Dunn to his 99th win and he enjoyed back-to-back success
with the three-year-old gelding.
The whiz kid who is only 18 years old, has now driven 101
winners this season. Surpassing the previous record holder
for number of winning drives as a junior driver – Mark
Jones.
Dunn currently sits in third place on the driver’s
premiership and leads the junior drivers by forty-eight wins
over Nathan Williamson who is in second place.
After Cameron Jake was withdrawn from the 4YO Ruby, King
Charlie jumped up from 13th to 12th place securing his spot
in the coveted race on the 31st.
The Nigel McGrath-trained gelding has shown mixed form this
season. However, he was sent out favourite in the 2600m Lion
Foundation Handicap Trot at Oamaru and proved to be too strong for the
13 horse field.
With the inclusion of King Charlie, McGrath will take four horses to the “Jewels”
including Chilli who is in fifth place in the 4YO Emerald, Gimli who
is in third place in the 2YO Ruby and Lough Beg who sits in
fourth place on the 4YO Ruby leaderboard.
Though the sale was helped markedly by the significant
Yarndley Farms draft, the Auckland Mixed Sales produced
amazing results on the weekend.
PGG Wrightson spokesman Peter Lagan said, “in my 30 years
plus in the auction business I have never experienced such
an unbelievably strong sale.”
Success Stud of NSW secured the top lot, Marysia. The In The
Pocket-Aberfeldy mare brought $64,000 for Sandy and Jan
Yarndley.
20 of the 39 lots sold on the day went for $11,000 or more
and there was much interest from high profile breeders from
all over New Zealand.
Two lots were sold to Australian interests and others were
sold as far afield as Riverton, Christchurch and Ashburton.
In fact the most active buyers in the sale were Highview
Standarbreds from Riverton - this on the back of many
successful recent yearlings sales. The Riveton-based
breeders were involved in the purchase of no less then six
of the 29 lots.
