Category Archive

AUGUST NOMS FOR $84,000 SHOW DAY FUTURITY SERIES Tuesday 22 July The Show Day Futurity Series (SDFS) will once again be programmed this spring at Addington Raceway with estimated stakes of $84,000. Addington is also pleased to announce that for the second year running, harness racing enthusiasts Glenys and Philip Kennard are sponsoring and the series will be known as the Glenys & Philip Kennard/Graphite Developments Ltd Futurity Series. Nominations will close on August 13 at 3pm. The well-patronised series will cater for 3-year-old and older pacers assessed at C0 as at July 1, 2014, with the following criteria to …

MINIMUM STAKES UP 40 PERCENT  Tuesday, July 22, 2014 Addington is pleased to announce that minimum stakes are on the increase to $7000 for the 2014-15 season for New Zealand Metropolitan Trotting Club (NZMTC) races which is a 40% increase on minimum stakes from the 2013-14 season. This represents a significant rise from 2011 when minimum stakes were $3000 and an increase on the 2013-14 season’s minimum stake of $5,000 for Tuesday quality races. The $7000 minimum stakes for NZTMC meetings are amongst the highest raced for on any Metropolitan Harness Race Track in Australasia. Also on the increase on …

IMPORTANT DATES FOR NZ CUP & DOMINION HANDICAP This year nominations for the 2014 Christchurch Casino New Zealand Trotting Cup and Hellers Dominion at Addington will be taken earlier than previous years to increase exposure and to enable fixed odds markets to open mid-August. Nominations for both races will close at 3.00pm on Wednesday, August 13, 2014. Christchurch Casino NZ Trotting Cup – $700,000 – Group 1 –  November 11, 2014 Initial nomination fee Wednesday, August 13, 3pm (NZ time ) $350 First late nomination fee Wednesday, August 27, 3pm (NZ time) $3500 First withdrawal fee Monday, September 15, 3pm (NZ …

STABLEMATES TAKE OUT ADDINGTON ABC HEATS Overport Lodge trainer Mark Jones says Sabellian may be attractive to Australian buyers after qualifying for the Australasian Breeders Crown 3YO fillies semi-finals at Melton in August. He has no plans to take Sabellian, or other Friday’s promoted 3YO ABC colts and geldings winner Zakspatrol, to Victoria himself. However, he made the most of a good opportunity to pick up the $3500 individual winning stakes for his owners with the paid-up Breeders Crown runners. Previously with the Allstars barn, Sabellian won the $16,000 Alabar Sires Stakes Fillies Championship Silver at Auckland on December 31, …

STRIKE ON COMMAND DELIVERS FOR 300th Overport Lodge trainer Mark Jones brought up his 300th training win when Strike On Command responded to a clever drive from good mate Blair Orange at Marlborough on Sunday, June 22. The milestone caps Mark’s sixth and most successful season as a professional trainer. This was his 68th win for the season, taking the stable earnings to $738,993, with mutliple Group One winning trotter Master Lavros the big breadwinner. “Its been a good season. We’ll be a bit down next season as a lot have been sold and we’re a bit light on numbers,” …

SMOKE N SANTANNA PUT DOWN Connections of promising 2YO pacer Smoke N Santanna were dealt a cruel blow when the colt broke a leg in a paddock accident and could not be saved. The Santanna Blue Chip-Smoke N Mirrors colt was turned out after his second 2YO Addington win on May 23 with the best intentions. He was expected to return for the 3YO Sires Stakes series. “I’m gutted about Smoke N Santana. It only happens to good ones,”  said trainer Mark Jones. Smoke N Santanna raced only six times for two wins, rating 1:58.4 (1950m) in his last run, …

EXPRESSO MARTINI RUNS SMART 2400m AT NELSON Expresso Martini, who recorded one of the fastest mobile 2400m times by a NZ 2YO pacer in the BMTT Mobile Pace at Nelson on Sunday, June 8, won’t be seen again until the spring. Overport Lodge trainer Mark Jones said the Met Eight Syndicate-owned colt had done enough in five starts in his debut term after Expresso Martini’s fast Nelson run. Expresso Martini, a Bettor’s Delight half-brother to dual Nelson C0-1 winner Secret Lotion (1:58.9) and 2010 Northern Oaks/Nevele R Fillies Final winner Secret Potion (1:57.5, 10 wins & $265.312), paced the mobile …

KIMBERLY SCORES 11TH WIN BEHIND FAIR DINKUM BROMAC Kimberly Butt’s thoughts were with her late great grand-mother Beryl Butt, who died only hours earlier, after guiding Fair Dinkum Bromac to win at Forbury Park on Thursday night, June 5, 2014. Beryl Butt, aged 92, and her late husband, former seven-times national training premiership winner and two-time NZ driving premiership winner, Wes Butt, began a strong harness racing family legacy. Their sons, Murray and Robin, were both successful horsemen. The former, the late Murray, and wife Jennifer, are the parents of current day top training and driving partnership team, Tim and …

SMOKE N SANTANNA ENDS 2YO RACING ON HIGH Smoke N Santanna, untroubled to justify his $1.70 favouritism in the C1 French Bakery Mobile Pace at Addington on Friday, May 23, ended his two-year-old racing on a high. The promising Santanna Blue Chip colt from good racemare Smoke N Mirrors promises to come back better next term. “Its been quite good with the owners (Pete, Debbie and Patricia Smith), who have turned down good money for him,” said trainer Mark Jones. “He could go next week again but will have six weeks out,” he said. Smoke N Santanna notched his second …

MELBOURNE-BOUND ULTIMATE CC WINS NEVELE R CONSOLATION Its been a game of changing owners over the last two years for Ultimate CC, who bowed out of NZ racing a winner of the $15,000 Nevele R Fillies No.36 Consolation at Addington on Saturday, May 10. Initally a $135,000 buy-back at the yearling sales, Ultimate CC was then purchased post the sales by Peter Chambers for under the six figure asking price. Mr Chambers then on-sold her to fellow Australian Overport Lodge stable client Greg Brodie, who recently passed her on to trainer Mark Jones. Mark had sold Mr Brodie a daughter …