News Briefs : April 19

Self Assured hits $2m

Self Assured's career earnings have gone past $2m after his third placing in the $1m Race by Grins at Cambridge last Friday night. After 28 wins from 56 starts Self Assured's total stands at $2,055,344 while race winner and two time New Zealand Cup champion Copy That's stakes now total $1,985,801. Friday's win in the Race by Grins was worth $450,000. Both have got a fair way to catching the likes of Lazarus, who earned $4,423,391.

Seve tees off to Aussie

Two race winner Seve has been sold and will do his future racing in Australia. Trained by Tony Herlihy, Seve was highly rated early on though he has been in the shadow of star three-year-olds like Merlin. Others also heading offshore include impressive last start winner Gus and five-win trotter Bohemian Rhapsody while racetrack regular The Fiery Countess, who's had 37 starts for five placings, has headed north from trainer-driver Alan Clark and will debut for Michelle Wallis and Bernie Hackett at Alexandra Park on Friday night.

Basketball star has top trotter

Five time NBA All Star Nikola Jokic looks to have a good one in three-year-old trotting colt Enzo Jet. The son of Maharajah had his seventh win in just nine starts in Italy over the weekend. One of the most promising three-year-olds in Europe, Enzo Jet has a best mile rate of 1:57. Jokic, a star centre for the Denver Nuggets, is mad keen on the sport and is great mates with Hall of Fame driver Tim Tetrick.

Ride in record-breaking form

Former Kiwi pacer Let It Ride has become the fastest horse in the 10 year history of Miami Valley in Ohio. Winning his fourth straight race in 1:48.8, the 10-year-old sliced one fifth of a second off the old mark. When trained by Tim Butt and Jonny Cox, Let It Ride had nine wins from 21 starts in this country before heading to Australia in 2018, and then on to North America two years later.

Vale Margareta Wallenius-Leberg

A leading figure for harness racing globally has died. Margareta Wallenius-Leberg was a member of the board of directors of the Hambletonian Society, and owner of the Menhammar Stud in her native Sweden. Seen as an ambassador for the sport on both sides of the Atlantic, Wallenius-Kleberg was the first woman to be elected to the Harness Racing Hall of Fame in 2017. She was 85.

Weanling sale just over month away

The national standardbred weanling sale will be held at Karaka on May 25, and the catalogues are available to be viewed on-line. There will be 123 lots with 22 stallions represented. It's the third year the weanling sale has been held.

To see the catalogue click here

Club News :

Invercargill - Diamonds Day

A big day is being planned for Southern Harness Racing’s premier day of the season, Diamonds Day, due to take place at Ascot Park Raceway in Invercargill on Sunday 23 April.

The Invercargill Harness Racing Club is pleased to announce that, after the success of last year, one lady will take home a brand new, stunning diamond ring, valued at over $5000 courtesy of generous sponsorship from Coats & Schuck Jewellers and the Invercargill Harness Racing Club. Each time a lady places a $5 bet on course they will be given a coupon. Just fill it in and place it in the bucket on the First Floor of the Main Grandstand and ensure you are still on course when the grand prize draw takes place in the birdcage and you could win the ring. This promotion began last year with the ring heading to Auckland on that occasion. The promotion was so successful the value of the prize has increased for this year. Club and raceday staff and officials are not eligible to enter the competition.

Ladies will also be welcomed onto the course with their first glass of wine free.

Anyone on course on the day can win another great prize – a $250 Prezzy Card. The card will be up for grabs in another edition of the very popular heads/tails game at some point during the day. It is so easy to participate and the game will be open to all ages.

On track some of the biggest races of the season will take place with the finals of the Nevele R Stud/Macca Lodge Southern Oaks Final and the Alabar Southern Supremacy Stakes Final, both races Group 2 events with stakes of $45,000 over a distance of 2700m. The other Group 2 race on the programme is the $55,000 Diamond Creek Farm Classic for 2-year-olds, to be run over a distance of 2200m. The $40,000 Regent Car Court Southern Cups Final is also on the programme on a day where total stakes exceed $250,000.

For the children there will be a colouring competition and a free lolly giveaway.

There are still a limited number of hospitality options available for the day with catering packages from the new on course caterers, Lees Catering, available for hospitality groups.

The first race is scheduled for 12 noon. Keep a look out on the Invercargill Harness Racing Club and Southern Harness Racing Facebook pages for more information. Admission to the course on the day will be free.