ROCKER BAND BOOKS NEVELE R FINAL BERTH Rocker Band booked a start in the $140,000 Nevele R Fillies Final at Addington on May 9 when defeating last season’s Breeders Crown-winning 2YO filly Katy Perry at Methven on Sunday, February 22. The daughter of Rocknroll Hanover and 2005 New Zealand Cup winner Mainland Banner shared favouritism with Katy Perry in the Hororata Trotting Club’s Nevele R heat on the grass. Both had turns at leading, with Rocker Band having the early gate speed to cross, then driver Ricky May elected to take a trail on Katy Perry nearing the final 800m. …
Tetrick takes early lead in WDC
TETRICK STRIKES FIRST BLOOD IN WDC Saturday 21st February 2015 USA representative Tim Tetrick drew first blood in the 2015 World Driving Championship steering Shannonsablast to victory in the first of the twenty heats. Saturday night’s meeting was conducted at Tabcorp Park Menangle and Tetrick looked at home on the spacious 1400 metre circuit sending his horse forward from the outside barrier. Australia’s Chris Alford was able to get off the inside late to finish second, securing important points. The second heat saw the international drivers compete on trotters and it was no surprise to see one of the European …
NZ Premier Yearling Sales details, 2nd day
NZ PREMIER YEARLING SALES, DAY TWO Sales details from day two of the 2015 NZ Premier Yearling Sales from the Canterbury Agricultural Park in Christchurch on February 18: 321 A/c Styx Stables, Christchurch: Styx Jaffa (Br c American Ideal-Kamwood Gem), passed (res. $25,000). 322 A/c Gower Terraces Farm Partnership, Cheviot: Smartly Spoken (B c Well Said-Kamwood Smarty), passed (res. $25,000). 323 A/c W E Radford, Mrs D E Richardson & Ms F R Mules, Rangiora: Major Rocket (B f Art Major-Kate’s Rocket), Dougal Steel, Christchurch, $18,000. 324 A/c Kahutara Farm, Tai Tapu: Bettor Than That (B c Bettor’s Delight-Killarney), Grant …
World Drivers Champs set to begin
WORLD DRIVERS CHAMPS SET TO BEGIN IN NSW World Driving Championship Set To Begin Thursday 21st February 2015 The 2015 World Driving Championship will begin on Saturday night at Tabcorp Park Menangle in Sydney Australia, with the ten drivers competing in two races on the twelve race programme. Representing nine different countries, the drivers will compete in race seven, an event over 1609 metres for pacers, and race nine which is for trotters and will be over the distance of 2300 metres. The drivers competing in the Championship are Name Country Pierre Vercruysse France (Defending Champion) Jody Jamieson Canada …
NZ Yearling Sales 2015 details, 1st day
2015 NZ YEARLING SALES DETAILS, FIRST DAY Sales details from day one of the 2015 NZ Premier Yearling Sales at the Canterbury Agricultural Park in Christchurch on Tuesday, February 17: 142 A/c I L & Mrs C J Lochhead, Weedons: Windsor (B c Monarchy-Valley Of The Moon), passed (res. $18,000). 143 A/c J M H Booth, Leeston & H L Waretini, Christchurch: Bay Richter (B c Ohoka Arizona-Vance Marie), Hoof It Racing Stables Ltd, Auckland, $11,000. 144 A/c Tregynon Farm, Ohoka: Arizona Highway (B c Ohoka Arizona-Van Ished), V M Muldrew & G J Anderson, Mosgiel, $10,000. 145 A/c Studholme …
Australasian Classic Yearling Sales details
2015 AUSTRALASIAN CLASSIC YEARLING SALES DETAILS Sales details from the 2015 Australasian Classic Yearling Sales at Karaka, South Auckland, on Monday, February 16: 1 A/c Breckon Farms, Ohaupo: Voltaire (B c Bettor’s Delight-Veste), M McKendry (as agent), Auckland, $100,000. 2 A/c Alta Breeding Co. Ltd, Waiau Pa: Alta Roulette (B c Bettor’s Delight-Whambam), T Vince, Howick, $42,500. 3 A/c Solid Gold Standardbreds, WA: Major’s Nice Girl (B f Art Major-Wouldnt It Be Nice), Daily Grind Syndicate, Lincoln, $14,000. 4 A/c Jubilee Park, Cambridge: Angie Maguire (Br f Rocknroll Hanover-Zenola Starbuck), passed (Res. $20,000). 5 A/c Breckon Farms Ltd, Ohaupo: Smiley …
Two-year-old fillies shape well at Ashburton trials
OVERPORT LODGE FILLIES TO DEBUT ON SUNDAY Overport Lodge 2YO pacing fillies, I Get Around and Smoke N Fire, are straight into racing mode at Timaru on Sunday after placing at the Ashburton trials on Tuesday. The stablemates will both start from the inside two barriers on the second row in a $25,000 Magness Benrow Sires Stakes Fillies Heat. Ricky May is to drive Smoke N Fire, with Blair Orange engaged for I Get Around. The race features only one to have raced, the Robert Dunn-trained Kotare Kasai, who ran second to Rakaporsche at Wyndham on February 1 in a …
Goodness Gracious Me for Southern Belle
GOODNESS GRACIOUS ME RUNS 1:56.3 ASHBURTON MILE Goodness Gracious Me, rewarded after four placed efforts this term with a career best 1:56.3 winning mile at Ashburton on Saturday, will target the $20,000 Southern Belle Speed Series Final at Winton on March 14. “I was think of taking her to Auckland, but she can stay around here for the Southland Final,” said trainer Mark Jones. “She will likely head to Australia to race before going in foal next season,” he said. Mark finished second with Telemecanique (subsequently a 1:52.2 US miler) behind Beaudiene Bad Bade in the 2010 Southern Belle Speed …
Christian Cullen 2YO wins Addington trial
ICE CRUSHER HOLDS IN ADDINGTON TRIAL Overport trainer Mark Jones qualified the two-year-old Christian Cullen gelding Ice Crusher, five seconds under the required standard, at Addington on Monday, February 2. Ice Crusher led from the outset in the mobile 2000m qualifier, and although he had the Jimmy Curtin-trained Mach Three gelding Hickstead for company over the last 200m, kept up a useful run to hold by a neck in 2:31.1 for the mobile 2000m. A brother to last Sunday’s smart Wyndham winner Shak’n Cullen, Ice Crusher rated 2:01.5 for the trip, quickening over his last 800m in 58.1s and final …
Blair Orange joins 1000-win club
BLAIR ORANGE BECOMES 23RD TO REIN 1000 NZ WINNERS Blair Orange, a regular stable driver for good friend and Overport Lodge trainer Mark Jones, became the 23rd reinsman to drive 1000 NZ winners at Addington on Friday, January 30. He achieved the feat with a positive drive behind the well fancied Change Time for current boss Ken Barron in the C3-5 Resource Recyling Technologies NZ Ltd Mobile Pace. Blair worked to the front with the in-form Christian Cullen mare, the trailed The Brigadier from the 1100m, before driving through strongly in the straight. His assocation with the Mark Jones stable …