HRNZ APPLAUDS PETERS’ ANNOUNCEMENT By Garrick Knight Harness Racing New Zealand has welcomed the announcement made on Wednesday by Racing Minister, Winston Peters, that he says will revitalise the domestic racing industry. According to Peters, the Government will introduce two new pieces of legislation before the year is out designed to overhaul an industry in a “serious state of decline”. “The Coalition Government supports the overall intent of the Messara Report and is committed to reforms,” said Peters in a statement. “We know we have the grass, the race animals, and the people to help the industry achieve its potential. …
Tomlinson continues form at Newcastle
LULU LE MANS WINS IN 1:56.7 Sheree Tomlinson’s big week continued at Newcastle on Saturday night. The youngest female centurion in NZ is also making a name for herself across the Tasman. In late November, she won the Australasian Young Drivers Championship in Queensland. This weekend she’s winning in New South Wales, continuing her association with a couple of the Mark Jones and Aaron Goadsby runners, on Saturday and Sunday. The Overport Lodge junior teamed up with stable runner Lulu Le Mans for a half-head win in 1:56.7 for the 1609m in the NBN Televison Two-Year-Old Pace. The $1.75 favourite …
Sheree Tomlinson creates history with 100th win
SHEREE TOMLINSON YOUNGEST FEMALE CENTURION History was made in cold and wet conditions at Forbury Park on Thursday night when Sheree Tomlinson because the youngest female driver to win 100 races in New Zealand. The 20-year-old completed the feat when the Shane Matheson-trained Hurricane Banner stomped up a slushy passing lane to win. Tomlinson saluted as she notched a milestone that she said she never would have dreamed of achieving so early in her career when she started driving. “That was great, I definitely did not think I would drive 100 winners only in my third season of driving.” The …
Barrett luckless with Chalice draw
BARRETT DRAWS OUTSIDE SECOND ROW IN FINAL Barrett’s chances in the $104,000 Bathurst Gold Chalice Final have lengthened after drawing the outside of the second row in the Group One Final on Friday night. The Bettor’s Delight colt was a strong-finishing third in last Friday’s heat, in his Australian race debut for driver Guy Chappie. The Mark Jones and Aaron Goadsby-trained pacer lugged in near line, narrowly missing second in the Third Chalice Heat, won by hot $1.50 front-running favourite, First Spring. Bettor Jiggle, who trailed, held second, with Barrett, who drew the outside of the front row, an eye-catching …
Si Senor lowers personal best
SI SI SENOR LOWERS BEST AT BATHURST Former Overport Lodge pacer Si Si Senor paced a career best mile rate of 1:55.4 over 1730m when successful at Bathurst last Friday, March 22. The Courage Under Fire gelding led from the five gate for trainer Michael Formosa, holding tenaciously by half a head from another former Canterbury pacer in Pembrooks Passion. Si Si Senor has continued his consistent NZ form this season in three New South Wales starts. After a first-up second at Newcastle on February 25, he’s won his last two starts. However, he will need to lift again after …
Bathurst Crown colts in form
MISTER FINNIGAN WINS, BARRETT FOURTH IN TRIAL (Mister) Finnigan heads into next week’s Bathurst Gold Crown 2YO series heat a last-start winner after winning a two-year-old race at Menangle (transferred from Newcastle last Saturday) on Tuesday, March 19. Burnham trainer Mark Jones also has Barrett, who ran fourth in a Menangle trial on Tuesday, in the Bathurst Gold Chalice 3YO colts and geldings division. The $100,000 finals will be run at Bathurst on Friday week, March 29. (Mister Finnigan) was untroubled to win as a hot $1.20 favourite on Tuesday, leading from the four gate for driver Guy Chappie. The …
Delightful Memphis wins Matchmaker Heat
DELIGHTFUL MEMPHIS TAKES OUT MATCHMAKER HEAT Former Overport Lodge mare Delightful Memphis has taken out an opening $US40,000 leg of the Blue Chp Matchmaker Series for mares at Yonkers Raceway. The daughter of Bettor’s Delight and Memphis Melody showed a good sense of timing from third spot approaching the turn to catch front-running fellow ex-Kiwi Bettor Joy on the line. Racing as Delightfulmemphisn in the USA, she scored by a nose in 1:53 for the mile, two laps of the Yonkers circuit on Saturday, March 16 (NZ time). Trained in North America by “Nifty” Norman, Delightful Memphis became the seasonal …
Overport fillies solid in Menangle Sapling
OVERPORT LODGE FILLIES CHASE PINK BONNET Overport Lodge fillies, Lulu Le Mans and Millwood Tilly, will be better placed against their own sex in next Saturday’s $50,000 Group Two Pink Bonnet at Tabcorp Park Menangle. The fillies ran a creditable third, and fourth, respectively, against the colts in the $50,000 Slingsby Holdings Sapling Stakes at Menangle on Saturday, March 2. Sapling winner, Mach Dan, a Mach Three gelding from NZ-bred mare Bettor Give It (Bettor’s Delight-Giveitawhirlgirl), finished too strongly from a handy spot for driver Chris Alford in 1:52.9 for the 1609m. Mach Dan, a $3.30 favourite for the Victorian …
Laura McKay wins double
LAURA McKAY IN SUBLIME FORM Overport Lodge junior driver Laura McKay was in sublime form at Addington on Friday night, scoring a winning double with stable runner Smoke N Reactor, then repeating with Enchantee two races later. Laura had settled for minor placings in her drives for the season before Friday, but turned things around with the winning double for her eighth and ninth career wins. She reined Smoke N Reactor patiently from the five gate in the Telfer’s Electrical Mobile Pace, settling second-to-last, then sweeping the others away with a well-timed final sprint. Smoke N Reactor swept up five …
Millwood Tilly first siring win for ‘Terror’
NZ HARNESS NEWS, Feb. 27 TERROR TO LOVE’S FIRST WINNER Three-time New Zealand Cup winner Terror To Love is on the board as a sire. From his first crop of 61 live foals, 10 have qualified and the first of those to win came across the ditch on Saturday night. Millwood Tilly, a New Zealand-bred filly, won her debut at Newcastle for Christchurch trainer/driver Mark Jones, who is based in Sydney with a team of horses at present. He selected her at last year’s Karaka yearling sale from the draft of Katie Carville, paying just $13,000. She’s owned by three …