News Briefs - April 28

Weanlings go under the hammer

The first ever standalone National Weanling Sale will be run by NZB Standardbred at Karaka next Monday. All weanlings will be eligible for the Harness Million Sales Race series. 130 weanlings will be sold. Leading studs Alabar and Woodlands Stud will both hold a public parade of their weanlings at Karaka on Sunday, with Woodlands at 1pm, and Alabar from 2.30pm. The Monday sale starts at noon.

Purdon works his magic

Spellbound’s Group 3 win at Melton on Saturday night has given both the horse and trainer Nathan Purdon their first wins in Australia since moving across the Tasman earlier this year. The four-year-old daughter of Art Major won the Ian Daff Memorial Mobile Pace by nearly four lengths to give Purdon his breakthrough win. Spellbound won five from 29 in this country before heading to Victoria in March.

Trotter heads south

La Reina Del Sur, who’s been racing against some of the country’s top young trotters, is on the move. The Trevor Casey-bred daughter of Father Patrick and Escapee has won once from nine starts and is going from Hayden Cullen’s barn to Graeme Anderson and Mike Love at Westwood Beach. Two starts ago La Reina Del Sur was sixth in the New Zealand Trotting Oaks won by Aldebaran Floss.

Party over for star three-year-old

Party Girl Hill, the world record setting three year old female pacer in 2020, has been retired.Trained by Chris Ryder and driven primarily by fellow Kiwi Dexter Dunn, Party Girl Hill won 15 of 16 races ($US880,345).On Little Brown Jug day in Ohio, her 1:49.3 in the Jugette was the first sub 1:50 mile by a female pacer in history on a half mile track. She sustained an injury as she prepared for her four-year-old debut.

Flair hands out two awards

Two outstanding contribution awards have been handed out by Flair South Island (For Ladies Adavancing the Interests of Racing). Graduating from Kidz Kartz after six years Holly Johnson’s been commended for her contribution, with Flair saying “she has grown into an amazing young lady … showing kindness and sportsmanship as well as a willingness to pass on what she has learn to others”. The other award went to trainer-driver Anj Mugford for her generosity in helping out and promoting the Teal Pants campaign. She was selected by Flair because “she helped with donations at most race meetings, helped with hanging course decorations, promoted the campaign on social media and organized with her Mum to make teal scrunchies with all proceeds going to the campaign."

Club News : Invercargill

Diamonds Day, a premier race day which sees the finals of several of the south’s top harness race series, will take place at Ascot Park Raceway in Invercargill this Sunday (May 2).
The Invercargill Harness Racing Club will host the event with feature races including major Group 2 races, the $40,000 Alabar Southern Supremacy Stakes Final, the $40,000 Macca Lodge/Nevele R Stud Southland Oaks Final and the Diamond Creek Farm 2-year-old Classic also with a stake of $40,000 plus the $20,000 Regent Car Court Southern Cups Final.
Racing starts at midday.
There will be free tea and coffee on course all day long as well in Lizzie’s Café on the ground floor of the facility.
Admission to the course on the day will be free.