News Briefs : September 7

Blue September auction underway

Nearly 60 items are being auctioned off for HRNZ's Blue September campaign. The annual Prostate Cancer Foundation fund-raiser has got to a great start with more than $12,000 raised so far. The items, on HRNZ's Facebook page, includes horse gear, vouchers and a bungy jump among other things. The auction will close next Monday at 7pm with all proceeds going to the campaign.

Deadline looms for Cup week stars

Nominations for the two biggest pacing and trotting races during New Zealand Cup and Show week - the New Zealand Cup and the Dominion - close tomorrow. The Cup will be held on Tuesday November 8, with the Dominion three days later on Show Day. Tickets for Cup day are on sale, and selling fast at addington.co.nz

200 for Purdon-Phelan partnership

What a night it was for the training partnership of Barry Purdon and Scott Phelan on Thursday night. When Major Perry won for Crystal Hackett it was their 200th training success. The trainers went on to snare three more with Advance Party, Montana D J and Merlin, who's now unbeaten in five career starts. The pair have been training on and off since 2008. Barry started out in the late 1970s and had 1463 training wins in partnership with his late dad Roy, while Scott trained on his own account between 2017 and 2020, and has also had 571 wins as a driver.

Four year gap for southern trotter

An 11-year-old trotter will have his first start in over four years when he lines up at Wyndham on Thursday. Ambro Ameigo, who's trained by Kath O'Connor at Knapdale in Southland, makes his first appearance at the races since running second to Crusher Collins in Invercargill in June 2018.

The Beast is back

Robyns Playboy - dubbed the Beast from the East - has returned home to Southland after an extended spell across the Tasman. The winner of 12 from 59 starts didn't finish higher than fourth in eight starts across the Tasman at Menangle and Newcastle. The six-year-old gelding left for Australia last November but is now back with regular trainers and co-owners Ross and Chris Wilson.

Yole goes eight from eight

Champion Tasmanian trainer Ben Yole won every race on the eight event card at Launceston over the weekend. Included in his wins was Tee Jay Cee who won at 150 to 1. According to local records the only other Tasmanian trainer to train the card was Frank Powell in 1919 - but then it was only a five-race programme.

Grass track season to resume

The first grass track meeting of the spring will be held at Methven this Sunday. The club says the track is in first class order. Anyone heading along to My Harding is advised that the Holmes Road entrance is undergoing roadworks so floats will need to carry on past the road and go into Methven then turn right into the racecourse. There will be 11 races, starting at noon.