News Briefs - November 20

The sale of a spectacular horse made from recycled materials, a new race at Addington and Blair Orange's highly successful 2024 all feature in this week's News Briefs.  

Metallicus auction closes tonight

Time is running out for those interested in buying the stunning Metallicus sculpture. Created out of recycled materials from Canterbury artist Gawie Bosman, the life-size horse has two distinct sides - one is steel, with the hooves, mane and tail in copper. The other side features a copper body with the detailed bits in steel. The sculpture took 260 hours to create and measures 3.6m long, 800mm wide and 2.4m high. The auction on standardbred.gavelhouse.com is currently at $19,000 and provided it meets its $25,000 reserve then 20 per cent of the proceeds will be donated to the Horse Ambulance Trust. There are eight lots up for sale in tonight's auction which closes from 7pm.

To see the auction click here

Orange tops $3m in stakes 

A double at Manawatu last night has seen the country's leading driver Blair Orange top $3m in stakes earnings in 2024. His latest wins were with Franco Hoffman and Cathy Freeman. That followed a successful Cup week that included wins with The Big Lebowski, Treacherous Bay and Sunny Louis on IRT New Zealand Cup day before upsetting the hotpot Just Believe in Friday's Group 1 Trotting Free For All with Oscar Bonavena. Orange now has 172 wins and $3,011,920 in stakes for the year. Zachary Butcher is second stakes-wise with $2,278,568 while John Dunn is the closest to Orange in the premiership with 123 wins.

Merlin increases lead in stakes race

Merlin's performances during New Zealand Cup week have seen him extend his lead as the highest earning horse in this country this year. The Barry Purdon and Scott Phelan-trained star followed up his fourth in the IRT New Zealand Trotting Cup by winning Friday's Free For All. He has now won seven races from 11 starts in 2024 and accrued $739,375 in stakes. That puts him ahead of two Australians in Renwick Farms Dominion Trot winner Just Believe ($690,000) and now two-time IRT New Zealand Cup winner Swayzee at $540,000.

Christian Cullen market opens tonight 

The TAB is going to open a futures market tonight (Wednesday) on the new $200,000 Christian Cullen 4YO race at Addington on December 6.  On Friday they will open markets for features such as the Auckland Cup on New Year's Eve, the Golden Gait 2YO and 3YO finals on December 20, and the 2025 IRT New Zealand Trotting Cup and the Renwick Farms Dominion Trot. 

New 2YO race on Derby night

A new $20,000 2YO non-winners pace has been added to Addington's programme for Friday, December 6. The race will be part of a stellar card that includes the $200,000 NZ Trotting Derby, the $300,000 NZ Pacing Derby and the inaugural $200,000 Group 1 Christian Cullen for the four-year-old pacers.

Vale Peter Wells

Former New Zealander Peter Wells has died in Victoria after a long and illustrious career in the sport. Among his accomplishments was winning a heat of the Inter Dominions in Melbourne in 1959. Shortly after that he decided to make Australia his home. He won numerous races and drove great horses including Cardigan Bay and Waikati Hanover, who won the 1960 Geelong Cup. He also took out the 1966 NSW Sapling Stakes with Meadow Lad. In 2013 at nearly 80 he drove a double at Ballarat's Bray Raceway with stablemates Dell Boy and Donkiri. Peter Wells was 90.

Inter Doms off for Leap To Fame

Leap To Fame's Inter Dominion title defence is over before it even started. After missing the NZ and Victoria Cups because of unsatisfactory blood tests, he has been scratched from the NSW Inter Dominion series, which starts at Newcastle on Friday week. "We know what the problem is now. It's treatable and nothing serious," owner Kevin Seymour says, "the vet scoped him after he worked this morning and found a lower respiratory tract infection."
Leap To Fame will be treated, have a spell and return to defend his title in races like the Hunter Cup and Miracle Mile early next year.

Carter Dalgety heading to Ultimate Driver

Carter Dalgety has been confirmed for the Ultimate Driver contest at Albion Park in Brisbane. He's been booked in by the N40 Racing/ Boys Get Paid syndicate. He will join the likes of good mate and mentor Dexter Dunn, the former Kiwi champion who is the most successful driver in North America this year. Ten drivers will compete in a 20-race series across two feature nights at The Creek in February with $250,000 in prize money on offer. The unique series sees slot holders select both the drivers and the horses to compete in the series.

Retirement for Group-winning southern filly

Four-win filly Flying Ellie has run her last race and will head to the broodmare paddock. The Art Major three-year-old finished 12th in the Nevele R Fillies Series Final on Cup day at Addington behind winner Treacherous Baby. Tests then showed she has an issue with her heart and her connections made the call to retire her. Trained by Nathan Williamson, her best performance was her win in the 2024 Group 2 Macca Lodge - Nevele R Stud Southern Oaks Final, beating Aardie B Miki and Louies Girl.

Club News : Timaru

The Canterbury Trotting Owners Association will be putting on a free BBQ at Timaru on Saturday. Thanks to the generosity of the good people at IRT and Harness Racing Unhinged, the BBQ will be going after race 8. Come along and say hi and get your free snarler (or two).

Club News :  Methven 

The Methven Trotting Club is doing its final preparations for its big Christmas meeting, on Sunday, December 1. The Mt Harding track is in great order with a considerable sole of grass thanks to the recent rain and tireless work of our track committee. The feature races are the Methven 4 Square and Supermarket Pacer’s Green Mile and the Woodlands Stud Trotter’s Green Mile.

This is a day all about fun, sun, barbecues, drinks, cricket and footy on the grassy slopes for the kids. Other fun will include egg and spoon races and the crowd favourite Babes in barrows (a great watch). The club is coming off some good results particularly the October Methven Cup meeting where the turnover was a record $1.8 million. The local Santa will be in attendance. Going into our last meeting of the season there is a real battle for leading trainer between Fred Fletcher, Barry Ward, Robert and Jenna Dunn and Mark Jones. Leading driver is just as close with Sam Thornley ,Sheree Tomlinson, Tim Williams and Blair Orange and John Dunn all in contention. 

Entry is free. racing starts at noon.