News Briefs - April 14

Longview Lady goes out with win

Longview Lady is in foal and has been retired from racing. Driven by Blair Orange and trained by Ken Barron she went out on a winning note beating favourite Italian Lad at Addington last Friday night. The four-year-old Bettor’s Delight mare won six from 39 and $85,694 in stakes. She has been served by Art Major.

Bitamuscle sidelined

Highly promising trotter Bitamuscle has a stress fracture of the cannon bone and will require a three month spell. The winner of three of six for Paul Nairn the son of Muscle Hill last raced at Addington on March 19. The three-year-old colt strung three wins in a row at Addington in August and September.

Rangiora to host 1390m sprints

Two 1390 metre races will be held at Rangiora at their Anzac Day meeting on Sunday April 25. The races will be limited to 10 starters with a maximum of six off the front line. Such sprints are rare these days, though in 2013 Forbury Park hosted its “Dash For Cash” night where they had races contested over 1200 metres.

Horse ambulance funds

The quest to raise $150,000 for a tenth and final horse ambulance has easily surpassed the halfway mark. Currently the #CompleteTheFleet campaign sits at $85,7770 with the aim to go past $100,000 by the end of the month. The ambulance will service the South Auckland area, and ensure that an ambulance is at every race meeting, and equestrian event in New Zealand.

History for former Kiwi trotter

Former Kiwi trotter Well Defined grabbed a slice of history with his last-gasp Mildura Trotters’ Cup win last Friday night. The Kate Hargraves-trained gelding became the first horse to win five Victorian country trotters’ cups in the same season with a mighty effort to overcome a 40m backmark for driver Ellen Tormey. Well Defined’s raced 11 times for the season, nine of those in country cups, for the five wins and four placings. Well Defined had three seconds in 19 starts in this country while trained by Kevin Townley before heading across the Tasman in 2018.

Aladdin fronts up on Aussie debut

Recent Kiwi import Aladdin showed his class when he led and thrashed his rivals on debut in Australia for trainer Greg Norman to win the Mildura Guineas by 12m. The son of Sweet Lou had raced 17 times for the All Stars/Hayden Cullen barn in NZ for three wins and seven placings, including victory in the $200,000 NZB Standardbred Harness Million for 3YO Colts and Geldings. The horse also had five starts for two seconds for the Blanchards in the weeks before his move to Australia.

Former Kiwi goes 3 from 3

Formerly trained by Matt Purvis in North Canterbury Hayden Bromac has now gone three from three for new trainer Julie Douglas in Australia, the latest win coming at Mildura last Saturday. The four-year-old son of Falcon Seelster has won five in a row, after victories at Westport and Addington before heading across the Tasman.