Category Archive

SAMANTHA OTTLEY REWARDED WITH SOUTH WINS Successful reinswoman Samantha Ottley was rewarded for her personal attention with smart racemare Rocker Band by driving her to a track record 1:53.3 at Winton on Saturday, December 19. “Sam’s been doing all the work with her so it was good to get her back driving a nice one again,” said trainer Mark Jones. Sam joined Mark’s Overport Lodge team a week before being sidelined with a luckless nasty race spill at Methven in mid-October. However, she is back doing what she does best again with stable wins behind Forty Thieves at Forbury on …

DEXTER DUNN NOMINATED FOR SPORTSMAN OF THE YEAR HRNZ Media release, December 15, 2015 The Halberg Disability Sport Foundation announced on Tuesday, December 15, that 63 nominations have been received for six categories at the 53rd Halberg Awards – the nation’s pre-eminent event to honour and celebrate sporting achievements by New Zealand teams and athletes in 2015. Amongst the nominees is our very own Dexter Dunn, who obtained a nomination in the High Performance Sport New Zealand Sportsman of the Year category for his World Driving Champion title that he secured back in March. At the World Drivers Championships, held …

ADDINGTON PROMOTION FOR BUSINESS/MARKETING MANAGER December 10 Addington Raceway and Events Centre is pleased to announce that our Business Development Manager Keryn McElroy has been promoted to the role of Business and Marketing Manager. Keryn’s new role will allow her to continue with the majority of her current responsibilities, together with managing the marketing function. Keryn is a valued and highly respected member of the team, possesses impressive attention to detail, has extensive experience in business development and has a great rapport with our partners. She has been part of the Addington team since September 2011. This promotion follows the …

ADDINGTON LOUNGE GETS NAME CHANGE December 8, 2015 Addington is pleased to announce the Legends Lounge located on the top floor of the Metropolitan Stand at the Raceway & Events Centre is to be known as the “Terror To Love” from January 1, 2016. A champion pacer, the great Terror To Love won a total of 16 races at Addington. He became only the third horse in history to win three New Zealand Trotting Cups and made that second Tuesday in November his own from 2011 to 2013. The famous name joins fellow champion pacers Blossom Lady and Christian Cullen, …

PERISSA WELL-PLACED IN PRODIGAL SEELSTER SPEED SERIES Perissa, a tenacious nose winner of the $9000 heat Prodigal Seelster Summer of Speed Series Heat at Methven in 1:59.7 (1609m) on Sunday, December 6, is well placed to advance further through the series. She clocked a 1:59.7 grass mile in the opening leg of the series. The Canterbury Standardbred Breeders Assocation series is made to order for Perissa, who has a fastest winning mile rate of 1:56.4 (2000m) at Rangiora 12 months ago, and ran the fastest final 800m race section recorded at Addington of 54.3s on October 16. The speed series …

ADDINGTON REPORTS SUCCESSFUL NZ CUP WEEK November 25, 2015 Addington is pleased to report fantastic turnover and attendance results for Cup Week 2015. Combined wagering totalled a substantial $10,165,338, which was down only marginally on last year’s record figure, which was then a huge 20% increase on 2013. Cup Day continues to head the domestic racing events of all codes by some margin with combined (on and off course) figures coming in at over $6.355 million whilst the Show Day combined figures were $3.810 million, an increase of $340k on 2014. A massive $1.790 million was wagered on the 112th …

REAL TORQUE DELIVERS, HALF-BROTHER DOES SAME IN USA Real Torque edged a step closer to the $22,000 Alabar Sires Stakes 3YO Fillies Series Heat at Auckland on December 11 with a comfortable front-running win at Alexandra Park on Friday, November 20. Along with stablemate, Northern Velocity, who tired after moving up parked over the final lap in a stronger C2 & faster fillies and mares pace last Friday, the stablemates will try to qualify for the $150,000 final at Auckland on December 31. Well-rated by trainer Mark Jones, Real Torque furthered a useful record at Alexandra Park, scoring her third …

EARLY SUSTAINING PAYMENTS FOR 2016 NZ DERBY November 24, 2015 Nominations for the 2016 Muscara Standardbreds New Zealand Derby will be taken mid-December to increase exposure and to enable fixed odds markets to open earlier. Nominations for the Derby will close at 3pm on Wednesday,  December 16, 2015. Muscara Standardbreds New Zealand Derby – $200,000 – Group 1 – April 8, 2016 Initial nomination fee Wednesday, December 16, 3pm (NZ time), $100. First late nomination fee Wednesday, January 20, 3pm (NZ time), $1000. First withdrawal fee Wednesday, January 20, 3pm (NZ time), $200. Second withdrawal fee Wednesday, February 24, 3pm …

MASTER LAVROS BACK ON TOP IN SECOND DOMINION TRIUMPH Overport Lodge trainer Mark Jones doesn’t show much emotion but winning a second Group 1 $255,000 Hellers Dominion with Master Lavros was special. The culmination of all the hard work behind the scenes with the giant squregaiter had the juices flowing down the straight the final time. Master Lavros delivering again at Group 1 level had the World Champion driver saluting specifically to his Woodend Beach right-hand man Regan Todd. “I’m a bit emotional so I’ll leave the shades on,” he said after 12 months of uncertainty. “Regan does all the hard …

CONGRATUATIONS TO MERV AND MEG BUTTERWORTH Overport Lodge intermediate-grade squaregaiter Eyre I Come couldn’t repeat his opening race win of 12 months ago at Addington on NZ Cup day for co-owners Merv and Meg Butterworth, and Grant Hatton, having every chance when fourth as Petite One won in NZ record time for a mare over 3200m. The Butterworths, who also race opening trot runnerup Blackguard’s Corner from the Allstars stable of Mark Purdon and Natalie Rasmussen, later became the toast of Australasia, along with Victorian trainer-driver Kerryn Manning, after taking out the $750,000 Christchurch Casino New Zealand Cup with former …