News Briefs - Nov 27

Tact McLeod's ID campaign, Aardiebytheseaside's latest success, the state of the premierships and the Sires' Stakes latest podcast all feature in this week's News Briefs. 

Tact McLeod favoured in IDs 

Tact McLeod is now a $4 favourite to win the Inter Dominions final at Menangle on December 15. The Mark Jones-trained five-year-old will fly the Kiwi flag when the series kicks off at Newcastle this Friday. Tact McLeod has won eight from 22 and headed across the Tasman after finishing fifth and seventh in the IRT New Zealand Trotting Cup and the Free For All at Addington during Cup week. The Sweet Lou gelding is owned by Trevor Proctor and Diane Dynes, with Proctor training him until Jones took over this month. The championships will have three heats at Newcastle, Bathurst and Menangle before the final. Tact McLeod has drawn the outside of the front line in the first heat.

Oaks winner going great guns in WA  

With the NZ Pacing Oaks on at Addington this Friday, last year's winner Aardiebytheseaside has landed her biggest Western Australia win yet. The barrier draw proved crucial in the $150,000 Group 1 Westral Mares’ Classic (2536m) when driver Deni Roberts used gate two to lead and rated the mare perfectly in front. Aardiebytheseaside has won nine of 11 starts for Team Bond and banked over $260,000. “She was pulling up a bit, but still held on,” owner Mike Tanev said from Canada, “up here we say it’s not how, but how many.” Roberts and Team Bond snared a treble last Friday with the other key win coming aboard exciting former Kiwi pacer Gee Heza Sport. The former Colin DeFilippi-trained gelding has turned heads winning four of his five WA runs and looks a Nullarbor/Fremantle Cup contender for early next year.

Thornley leads junior drivers by 4 

The junior drivers' premiership is down to four, with the season finishing in little over a month.  Sam Thornley has 56 wins in 2024 after winning with the Len Mosely-trained Taumutu Lad at Timaru on Saturday and is four clear of the late charging Wilson House. He had four wins at Manawatu on November 21, followed by a win with Tokyo Rose at Motukarara on Sunday. He has 52 wins overall, with Carter Dalgety next on 49. Blair Orange has 177 wins for the year and is guaranteed a seventh consecutive drivers' premiership with John Dunn next on 128 and Tim Williams (82) just ahead of Sam Ottley(80) in the race for bronze. Robert and Jenna Dunn are set to go back-to-back in the trainers' premiership. They have 132 wins this year so far, well ahead of Steve and Amanda Telfer on 108.

Four decades between wins 

It was nearly 40 years between victories for Hawera trainer Donald Bublitz. Becker won for the country's leading driver Blair Orange in the Life member Don Haydock Mobile Pace at Manawatu last week. It was Bublitz's first win since Joseph John won for driver Geoff Martin, also at Manawatu in 1985. Becker sat parked for the entire trip but was still good enough to clear out by over a length at the line. It was the Vincent two-year-old's first win in three career starts. 

Gath to be ultimate driver 

Victorian star Kate Gath is the ninth and latest driver to be announced for the Ultimate Driver Championship at Albion Park in Brisbane, alongside the likes of Kiwis Carter Dalgety and Dexter Dunn.  The inaugural series on February 21-22 will see the world's best duke it out over 20 races. Gath is so far the only female driver to be confirmed for the series.

Kiwi owned pacer goes back to back 

Classy former Kiwi pacer South Coast Arden has made it two wins from as many starts this campaign. The seven-year-old gelding, who is still owned in NZ, posted the 21st win of his 60 starts career at Menangle on Saturday night and edged close to $700,000 in earnings when he scored by a neck in a 1min52sec mile in the Nick Robin Free-For-All. Earlier, former Kiwi mare Maria Allegonda made it two wins from three starts this campaign for trainer David Thorn and driver Luke McCarthy. On the same card, trainer Jason Grimson and owner Mick Boots had a double with former Kiwi pair Miki Pins and Dom Toretto.

Hot and Treacherous too good in Brisbane  

Much-travelled former classy Kiwi pacer Hot And Treacherous returned with a sparkling win for a new stable at Albion Park on Saturday night. First-up since July and now with trainer John Livingstone, the six-year-old worked to the front and won as he liked by two metres in a slick 1min51.1sec mile rate for 1660m. Even more impressive was another former Kiwi, Duke Of Scotland, in race six. The Chantal Turpin-trained four-year-old is really going places and made it five wins from just eight Queensland runs.

Sires' Stakes latest podcast out now 

The NZ Sires’ Stakes Board wishes to remind everyone that 2YO Sustaining Payments are currently due with closing day Monday December 2, 2024. This payment is for current yearlings that wish to be a part of two-year-old New Zealand Sires’ Stakes racing in 2025. If you elect to miss this payment you can still enter for your horses’ three-year-old year (2026). That payment is not due until July 1st, 2025. Any queries please contact Martin – 027 4711 081 or [email protected]

The 5th NZSS 'Greatest Place to Race' Podcast with Martin Pierson and Sheldon Murtha is also available now 

For more click here 

Club News : Westport 

The Westport Trotting Club's Kawatiri Day Trials will be held on Saturday December 7. For more information contact Karen O'Dea on 0210306146 or [email protected]

Club News : Northern Southland 

The annual Balfour Trots Equalisator Meeting is just days away! It's a great day out for the Balfour community and harness racing enthusiasts alike.
Plus it gives horses a timely chance to trial on grass ahead of the many grass track meetings coming up. We'll have all the usual hospitality available. 
So, come and enjoy a great day out on Sunday, December 1 at Balfour Racecourse - 1pm start.