HRNZ MEDIA BITES, APRIL 3, 2013
Blitzthemcalder set to take on gun Trotting Derby field: This Friday’s Seelite Windows & Doors NZ Trotting Derby shapes up as a very strong one. The Aussie Blitzthemcalder will add significant flavour to the race and it promises to be a cracker with no clear top dog amongst the sophomore trotters right now. Clearly the likes of Habibti, Royal Aspirations, Sheemon and the Purdon trio of Paramount Queen, Saratoga and Sunoflindenny will put up a tough fight.
Blitzthemcalder is staying at Mark Purdon’s All Stars Stables while in Canterbury. Chris Alford will take the drive.
Punter eyes up third Derby: Following on from his Victoria and Northern Derby wins Ohoka Punter will be the hot property in this weeks Muscara Standardbreds NZ Derby. There’s a lot to like about this year’s Derby field with 12 very serious race horses involved but on the face of it Ohoka Punter is clearly the horse to beat and if he won he could start to etch out his own little bit of history too. Should a third Derby drop in there’s also the prospect of a trip to Australia and a title at Queensland Derby riches. Here’s the link for Addington’s Premier fields this Friday night http://infohorse.hrnz.co.nz/datahr/fields/040532fd.htm
Vulcan makes it 10 Group 1s: The effort for Vulcan to come back from an exhausting Aussie campaign and notch another Group 1 at Addington last week can not go undersold. He’s just a great little warhorse whose toughness and aptitude have carried him so far. For the record he’s now won 17 races and $918k.
Highview Tommy joins rich list: It probably wasn’t the way his connections might have envisaged it but with his fourth in the Easter Cup on Saturday night Highview Tommy broke that million-dollar barrier in prize money. To recap Highview Tommy has won two Group Ones; the Welcome Stakes and Ballarat Cup. He’s won a Harness Jewels crown too but only as a Listed race back in 2008. To date Tommy has raced 96 times for 17 wins and 26 placings his stakes total just over $1,004 million. A tremendous FFA campaigner.
Ken Barron still waiting for that win: Ken Barron still sits on 999 career wins in NZ. He has four drives at Addington on Friday but a big book at Ascot Park on Sunday. Maybe he’s waiting until he gets home to break the milestone?
Dream Team Comp commences this Friday night: If you want to be in the Dream Team competition with HRNZ you have until Friday at 4pm to do so. Entries are still coming in and no doubt there will be the usual late flood. Don’t miss out, this should be good fun. Of course if your team is the best you’ll win a trip for two to the Breeders Crown in Melbourne in August.
Date change works wonders for Canterbury Country Cup: A very strong field will be assembled for the Country Cups Final for Canterbury at Rangiora on Sunday. Previously run at Addington, before a move to Rangiora last year and since then the date has come forward three weeks and has attracted a powerful field with many Group performed horses involved and stars of the local Cups circuit.
Matthew Williamson: getting it done: Young driver Matthew Williamson has been going about his business very well this season and with 82 driving wins to date he’s poised to eclipse his previous best of 87 wins very shortly. The Oamaru-based driver flies under the radar a little by virtue of competing a lot in the deep south but his efforts must be celebrated. He’s poised to join an elite club of junior drivers to have driven 100 winners in a season. To date that list includes; Dexter Dunn, Mark Jones and Zac Butcher.
Quick Bits: Unbeaten Australian two-year-old colt Allblack Stride (ironic) is heading to our shores to race. He was sold through the NZ Yearling Sales and is paid up for the NZ Sires Stakes and PGG Wrightson Yearling Sales series.
Classy pacer Easy On The Eye goes around in a strong Newcastle Mile on Saturday night – as does (My) Temudjin for Tim Butt. Stablemate of Easy On The Eye, Kiwi Ideal, lines up in a heat of the Iraklis Championship.
Courtesy of Andrew Morris, Communciations & Marketing Manager, HRNZ