News Briefs - December 17

A record looms for the Telfers, Ya Rite Darl's first Group 1 and Invercargill's big day all feature in this week's News Briefs.

Telfers within one of record 

Premiership leaders Steve and Amanda Telfer are now on the verge of equalling the all-time record of training wins in a 12-month season. The Stonewall Stud brother-sister combo now have a personal best 167 wins in 2025, just one away from the 168 achieved by Roy and Barry Purdon in 1993-94. The Telfers last won the premiership in 2022 with 98 wins. Robert and Jenna Dunn have won the last two premierships in 2023 and 2024. The Telfers' latest successes were with Seaside Rose and Transonic at Winton on Sunday. 

Bargain buy tops $250,000 

A bargain purchase Ya Rite Darl has now won over $250,000 in earnings following her first Group 1 win in the Queen of Diamonds at Alexandra Park on Friday night. She has won eight of her 23 starts. She was bought at the NZB Standardbred National Weanling sale for $8000 in 2022. Purchased by the Dunn's Diamond Racing Stables she is trained by Robert and Jenna Dunn, with John Dunn her regular driver. 

Wakelin bags quinella at Rangiora 

What a result it was for Oxford-based trainer-driver Philippa Wakelin in the Auto Self Serve Waimack Junction and Greywacke Road Trot at Rangiora on Sunday. She produced the quinella with her drive Castleisland (paying $25) getting home by nearly four lengths from stablemate B K Mumma Jamie and Sam Ottley. At one stage the pair were 12 lengths clear of the field. The Wakelin quinella paid $52.70. It was Wakelin's fourth training and driving success this year.

Side Hustle's track record 

In his second win in four career starts, Side Hustle set a track record for 2YO Pacing Colts and Geldings at Winton on Sunday. Trained by Brett Gray and driven by Brent Barclay the Always B Miki colt won in 1:52.7, eclipsing the old mark set by Captain Tom (1:53.9). Side Hustle was a $55,000 purchase at the 2024 NZB National Yearling Sale in Christchurch.

Kingman up for $1m bonus 

New Zealand Cup hero Kingman’s start to 2026 is now clear, with trainer-driver Luke McCarthy confirming the pacer would “go full bore” at trying to win a new $1m bonus in Victoria through January and February. McCarthy and owner Mick Harvey have agreed Kingman will launch his attack on the six-race Victorian Cups’ circuit in the first of them, the $75,000 Group 2 Bendigo Cup (1609m) on January 10. A $1m bonus will be paid for any pacer who can win four legs, including the $250,000 Group 1 Hunter Cup on February 14. 

Beckwith with 7 at The Big M 

Brett Beckwith, the USA's representative at this year's World Driving Championship around New Zealand, has had a night to remember at the Meadowlands in New Jersey. The 22-year-old won seven races on the 14-race card, the best individual performance by a driver at The Big M all year. The all-time record is eight wins held  by Brett Miller and Mike Lachance. The last driver to get seven on the same night was New Zealand's champion driver Dexter Dunn in 2021.   

Attention : All Breeders 

Application forms to register this season’s foals were posted out recently to the person who according to our records is the first named owner or lessee of any mare for which there is a 2024/2025 service record.

If you have not received an application form and believe you should have, please contact the HRNZ office. Remember the cost of registration is $210 per foal if application and payment is made by 1 April 2026.

The form should be lodged and paid for by the due date even if you do not have all the required details. In this way breeders will avoid the imposition of late fees as outlined in the letter to breeders that accompanied the application form.

Payment options for the fees appear in the letter.

Foal Registration Phone: 03-964-1200
HRNZ Freephone: 0508-427-637
P O Box 459 
Christchurch 8140
Email: jfrench@hrnz.co.nz

Club News : Invercargill Cup day 

Preparations are almost complete for the Invercargill Harness Racing Club’s big Christmas meeting at Ascot Park Raceway in Invercargill on Friday (19 December). A day of top class racing plus Ladies Fashion In The Field and a sweepstake competition on the feature event, the Group 1 Ascot Park Hotel Invercargill Cup, ensure a great day of entertainment. 

The cup is run over 2700m for a stake of $100,000 while a quality support card includes the Group 3 Brendan Franks Farrier David Moss Stakes Trot with a stake of $40,000, the $30,000 Canada Stakes and the Diamond Creek Farm/SBSR Robin Dundee Crown for stakes of $25,000. 

Also on this year’s programme is the Murray Brown Beaudiene Bad Babe 2YO Fillies Mobile Pace plus the McEwan Bloodstock, Wayne (OX) McEwan Memorial, races that remember the significant contributions of Murray Brown and Wayne ‘Ox’ McEwan to southern harness racing. 

Ladies Fashion In The Field, supported by Elegance 148 On Elles Restaurant, McLeay Jewellers, Craig Heyrick of Harcourts Real Estate Invercargill and Sashies Sashes is back with entries open on course early in the day with a superb prize pool up for grabs. Details will be in the race book on the day.

On course patrons can win the opportunity to place a bet of up to $1000 on the Cup by dropping their losing tote tickets or a coupon from the race book in one of the labelled buckets around the course with their name and phone number on the back. A draw will be made prior to Race 5 where each ticket or coupon drawn will receive a runner in that race. Should your runner finish first in race 5 you receive $1000 to bet on the Ascot Park Hotel Invercargill Cup. Second in the race 5 competition gets $300 to spend on the Cup and third $200. To enter you must be 18 years of age or older.

The race meeting is a twilight event due to commence at 2.50pm.