News Briefs - October 28

A "great friend of racing" remembered, the retirement of the ever consistent Midnight Dash, record times on both sides of the Tasman and the Brooke and Robbie Close fund-raiser all feature in this week's News Briefs.

Vale Barrie Barber

Barrie Barber is being remembered as "a great friend of racing". A Life Member of the Waikouaiti Trotting Club and a successful owner and breeder in both codes, Barber died last month. In harness racing he raced nearly 60 horses for 123 wins while in the gallops he and the late Neil Purvis bred 2022 Wellington Cup winner Cluden Creek. Barber had his first win as a harness racing owner at Waimate in 1977 with the pacer Stereo Hanover whom he raced with trainer, Ron Roach. Barber went into partnership with Malcolm Shinn and the late Wayne Francis, founder of Nevele R Stud, to race Quiet Touch, winner of the 1986 New Zealand Standardbred Stakes. Quiet Touch won 10 races from just 21 starts and among her Group placings was a third in the 1987 Auckland Cup won by Master Mood. He co-owned Regal Dash, a winner of 21 races in Australia including the 2006 Bendigo Cup, and also Regal Dash's half-sister Dashtothebeach who won five races. Notably the horse won at the final meeting at Forbury Park in 2021. He and Syd Brown also raced Noble Fella, who won seven races when trained by Brown. As a breeder Barber operated the B B Stud. He had 80 wins as a standardbred breeder, the last in 2019. Among his best performers was 2016 Central Otago Cup winner Quick As A Trick, who won 10 races in 2014-16. As well as Syd Brown, Barber also had horses with Bruce Negus, Colin DeFilippi, Tony Barron and others.
He is being remembered as "a great friend of racing whose greatest talent was helping people." Barrie Barber was 84.

Midnight Dash retired

Half million dollar-earning trotter Midnight Dash has been retired after Monday's Tactical Landing Ashburton Trotters Sprint, won impressively by Prestigious. The Muscle Hill nine-year-old was pulled up after injuring what turned out to be suspensory. He's expected to make a full recovery and will ultimately be educated to saddle before his transition to a Life After Racing. A wonderfully-consistent performer for the Hopes, Midnight Dash won $520,000 and 15 races, including one Group 3 (the 2026 Gold Cup at Omakau). Remarkably he finished in the top four 81 times in his 123 career starts.

Record-breaking day at Ashburton

Two new New Zealand records were set at Ashburton's Labour Day meeting on Monday. Tour Party took out the Woodlands NZ Sires' Stakes 2YO Colts and Geldings Heat 5 (1700m) in 1:57.6 which eclipsed the old mark of 1:58.1 set by Got The Chocolates at Ashburton in 2024 while Becky Girl's four-length romp in the Neumanns Tyres Vipal Hambletonian Classic was cut out in 2:02,5, lowering the previous record held by Ya Rite Darl (2:03.00). The quickest sectionals of the day though belonged to Marketplace in his second behind The Lazarus Effect in the NZB Airfreight Ashburton Flying Stakes. Aided by a howling north-westerly wind at his back he flew over the last 800 in a staggering 51.8 seconds, his last 400 in 24.2.  

Loucasso wins in record time

Speaking of quick times - Loucasso smashed the Australasian three-year-old record with his 1:47.6 mile win in a Breeders Challenge semi-final at Menangle (Sydney) on Saturday night. Trained and driven by Seaton Grima, the boom three-year-old has now won all four of his starts this campaign and is the hot favourite for the world's richest harness racing race, the $1.5m TAB Eureka for 3YO and 4YO pacers, which will be held at Menangle on November 21.  

Dunn and Brandon reign supreme

Horse of the Year contender Brandon Blvd has given Kiwi driver Dexter Dunn his fifth Breeders Crown victory this year, one shy of the record he set in 2024. Over the weekend Brandon Blvd won the final for 3YO pacing colts by just over a length in 1:48 at Eldorado Scioto Downs in Ohio. It was his 17th win in 24 races and pushed his career earnings to $US1.9m. He is the top-earning horse in the USA this year at $1.5m. Earlier Dunn's fourth Breeders Crown victory was with the champion mare he part owns in Twin B Joe Fresh. She took out the Mares Pace in 1:48.2, beating former top Kiwi racemare Francent. Twin B Joe Fresh has now won 43 of 63 races and over $US3.5m in stakes. Dunn, a five-time USA Driver of the Year, has won 272 races and $15.2m in 2026 and is the leading stakes earner in the USA ahead of Yannick Gingras ($13.3m).

600 wins for Team Telfer

A win on debut by two-year-old Spruced Up gave trainers Steve and Amanda Telfer their 600th training success at Addington on Friday night. Driven by top stable driver Tim Williams, Spruced Up won the Tyre General Mobile Pace by half a length. They have since had career win number 601 thanks to Sonofamistery at Ashburton on Monday. With 83 wins this year the Telfers are second in the trainers premiership, 30 wins behind leaders Robert and Jenna Dunn. John Dunn is also second in the drivers premiership on 96, 44 behind runaway leader Blair Orange on 140.

Close fund-raiser this Friday

The Keeping Them Close Quiz Night will be held at Addington this Friday. The event is being organised to help Brooke and Robbie Close. Brooke needs a kidney transplant and husband Robbie will be her donor, with the operation set down for November. Teams of up to four will pay $100 with money also raised through raffles, prizes and auctions on the night. Half of the proceeds will go to the Christchurch Kidney Society with the rest helping out the couple financially as they recover from the surgery. An on-line auction is also being held.  A Lyell Creek Marquee package is being offered. It is for a marquee, table and 10 chairs for both days at Kaikoura (Sunday and Monday), valued at $800. To find out more click here