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ALABAR SUPER SERIES – QUICK FACTS

Last week’s Alabar Super Series events, which have become a real feature on Addington Raceway’s calendar, was the 12th occasion these races have been conducted over the last four years.

Designed to reward those horses and connections that support Addington Raceway on a regular basis, the success of these $23,500 events can be seen in the quality of the fields that contest them and a look at past results makes for interesting reading.

• Average tote win dividend is approximately $7.50.
• Largest win dividend was $36.30 when now course mile record holder Vice Chairman was victorious in 2013.
• Shortest win dividend was last week when Stars Align saluted at $1.20.
• 22 individual trainer(s) have won the 36 Alabar Super Series events held.
• Purdon/Rasmussen with 9 and Terry/Glenys Chimiel with 4 head the multiple wins category.
• Horses trained (or co-trained) by Craig Edmonds, Nigel McGrath and Cran Dalgety have all scored on more than one occasion.
• Southland domiciled horses have an impressive strike rate when taking home 3 victories from very few starters (Tas Man Bromac, Wick and Costa Del Magnifico).
• Every starter presently earns at least $500 just for starting.

The next Alabar Super Series night has been scheduled for October 7.

Courtesy of Keryn McElroy,

Business & Marketing Manager,

Addington

‘NIKE’ & ‘NICAEA’ ENHANCE VALUE OF FILLY FOR NEW OWNER

The outstanding career of NZ-bred mare Nike Franco was the catalyst for Gold Coast-based Mark Denyer to secure her Mach Three half-sister from the NZ Premier Yearling Sales in Christchurch six months ago.

A new owner for Overport Lodge, Mr Denyer is primarily aligned to the Dean Braun stable in Australia, but two filly purchases from the NZ sales have remained with Burnham trainer Mark Jones for their early development.

Nearea Franco, a quality racemare during her race career for the Steve McRae stable, with driver Craig Thornley.

Nike Franco’s half-sister Naiya Franco was secured for $70,000.

Dean Braun prepared Nike Franco for much of her illustrious Australian career.

Secured by clients of the Braun stable after a first-up third in New Zealand for Spreydon Lodge trainer Steve McRae, Nike Franco was a multiple Group One winner across the Tasman.

Nike Franco was recently sold to North American interests after racing only 33 times in Australasia for 18 wins and 11 placings for $392,000.

Mr Denyer said he had followed the family of ‘Nike’ for some time and when the opportunity to buy her half-sister he thought “why not?”

Nike Franco, a 1:52.6 daughter of McArdle, is the first foal from the former top Canterbury mare Nearea Franco (Badlands Hanover-No Paba, p3, 1:58.4, US), who won $441,361 from 11 wins and 11 placings in 34 starts when prepared by Steve McRae.

Nearea Franco’s dam No Paba is an Abercrombie race-winning sister or half-sister to 12 individual winners including former champion racehorse Beach Towel (p3, 1:50), a former Meadowlands Pace and Breeders Crown winner, and US Horse Of The Year.

This is also the maternal family of former top NZ-bred WA winner Northview Punter (1:53, Aus & 1:51, US), a Bettor’s Delight winner of 23 races and $450,830.

Nearea Franco, who didn’t race until four, won the 2008 Listed 4YO Jewels Diamond at Cambridge in 1:54.4 and also in her debut season won the Group One 2008 Queen Of Hearts at Auckland.

She also won the Gr2 2009 Kaikoura Cup and Group Three 2010 Firestone Free-For-All at Addington on NZ Cup day at Addington.

Nearea Franco dashes clear from the trail for a big win in the Gr3 Firestone Free-For-All at Addington on NZ Cup day, 2010.

Nearea Franco was also the runnerup twice to Monkey King in Gr2 (2009 Gr1 NZ Free-For-All & Searells Chartered Accountants Classic); the runnerup to De Lovely in the Gr1 2011 NZ Breeders Stakes at Addington; and runnerup to Report For Duty in the Group Two 2008 Kaikoura Cup.

She was also third to Kiwi Ingenuity and Smoke N Mirrors in the 2009 NZ Breeders Stakes at Addington.

Nike Franco is Nearea Franco’s first foal.

The family was in the news again at the Kurow meeting at Oamaru last Sunday when her second foal Nicaea Franco (by Falcon Seelster) won her maiden debut for the Mark Jones stable.

Nicaea Franco, just turned five, is co-raced by Spreydon Lodge and the Thunderbolt Syndicate.

She showed her toughness, easing back to last on settling for driver Craig Thornley.

Nicaea Franco was on the move three wide with 1300m to run, being left three wide in the open outside the leaders.

Craig was able to give her a breather when slotting into the one-one around the home turn, the kept fighting in the run home for a tencacious half-head win in a 2:02.6 rate (2000m).

She becomes the third filly and the third winner for Nearea Franco from as many to race.

Her third foal, Nyree Franco (by Bettor’s Delight) raced just four times this season for the Steve McRae stable, winning at Ashburton in April, and also recording a second and two thirds.

Franco Emirate storms home wide to win the 2011 Harness Jewels 4YO Emerald at Ashburton in 1:53.8.

Mr Denyer’s other NZ Yearling Sales purchase was another Mach Three filly in Elianna Franco, a half-sister to the Gr1 2011 Ashburton Harness Jewels 4YO & Gr1 NZ Messenger 4YO winner Franco Emirate (1:53.8, 14 wins from only 33 starts & $334,449), for $30,000.

Also a half-sister to former Overport Lodge winner Franco Exeter (four wins), Elianna Franco is from Elisit Franco (1:57.1), a three-win Falcon Seelster half-sister to former top NZ, Aust. & USA pacer Franco Enforce (28 wins, 1:50.6, US), winner of the 1996 Gr1 NZ Sires Stakes 3YO Final, and both the 1997 Gr1 Australian and Queensland Derbys.

Mark, and wife Carla, recently moved to the Gold Coast after previously living in Sydney.

Mr Denyer works in the energy business in Australia for major Australian company AGL.

“I have ramped up to breed from four or five mares this season,” he said.

“I have recently bred from Zaras Delight (1:56.8, seven wins from 18 starts) and Rocknroll Angel (1:56.8, three wins from six starts), who were both nice 3YO fillies, before that ramp up.”

“I have full sisters by both to sell in the Sydney APG sales.”

The best horses Mr Denyer has raced from the Braun stable have been ex-NZ trotter (Our) Dreamlover, a Love You gelding winner 11 of 30 starts for $97,966, which he raced in partnership with Dean Braun and Harvey Kaplan; and NZ-bred Jennas Highview (Bettor’s Delight-Highview Miss), who he raced in the latter stages of her career.

Previously before her injury and a long spell, Jenna’s Highview (1:57) was trained by David Thorn in New South Wales.

She has compiled a good record, running second to subsequent Miracle Mile winner Baby Bling in the 2011 Australian Oaks, while she was also the runnerup to Forever Gold in the Queensland Oaks, and ran third in the Gold Coast Oaks.

“I currently have a yearling filly in work in Australia by Rocknroll Heaven from Jennas Highview, and a full-sister to sell at the Sydney APG sale, along with four others.”

In Australia, Mr Denyer also races Carlas Pixel (3f Courage Under Fire), winner of two from six starts including a $50,000 APG Consolation at Menangle on April 30 in 1:55.8; NZ-bred Mister Livan (Live Or Die-Van Hope), a 1:53.3 winner of 13 from 51 for $75,847; and Manly Mach, a 2YO winner from eight starts and runnerup in a Gr3 Ready2Run Stakes at Menangle in 1:54.3.

Mr Denyer’s two top-bred fillies, now early 2YOs in NZ, have every chance to expand his success under his Luckyden Pty Ltd banner.

By Jeff Scott

RATINGS SYSTEM TO DEBUT ON AUGUST 4

Media Release Thursday July 28, 2016

Thursday August 4 will be the first meeting in the trial of a Ratings System in harness racing.

Following a robust process that identified four critical areas that needed review, a Ratings system has been developed to trial in the hope to improve the position of
harness racing and create a more fluid, competitive and vibrant racing environment in the North Island.

The three-month trial was approved by the HRNZ Board in June following the development of the Ratings concept.

Four key areas were identified where harness racing needed to improve. These were:

1. Create opportunities for average to poor maiden (non-winning) horses.

2. Create better pathways to ensure the competitiveness of struggling one-win horses.

3. Correct the imbalance created by the concessions for two and three-year-old horses.

4. Create a more effective system of allowing horses to ‘drop back’ when proving uncompetitive.

The Ratings System will operate as the name suggests.

Horses will be rated on their performances, whether it is winners, placegetters or unplaced horses.

The system is bound by a schedule of Guiding Principles approved by HRNZ.

The Guiding Principles have been designed to give appropriate penalties for the performances of horses and to provide a flexible system that enables horses to race
their way to their true level of competition.

Auckland Trotting Club Racing Manager Kevin Smith, who has been an integral part of the development of the Ratings System, is understandably buoyant about the prospects moving into the trial.

“I believe the Ratings will even out the racing population and lead us to where we need to be in terms of creating like-with-like racing opportunities. Potentially we  also envisage that this system will create avenues for horses that may not have been competitive or adequately catered for in the past.”

HRNZ Board Member and Licensed trainer, Rob Lawson, acts as the Chairman of the HRNZ Handicapping Sub-committee. He too is enthusiastic about the Ratings trial. “I’m
excited about the potential opportunities that will be given to horses, regardless of their ability.

This is something completely new and there’s been a drive for change to allow the disaffected groups of horses a chance to prosper – we hope this Ratings System will
achieve that, for the future good of harness racing.”

Lawson is also delighted with how quickly the project has come to fruition. From a basic, conceptual starting point just a few months ago the trial is now ready to go.

“It’s been a great team effort to get to this point, especially from the HRNZ I.T. and Racing Departments who have pulled the concept together well administratively and on a computing basis under tough time constraints.”

The Ratings System trial is intended to initially be three-months long; however should the trial prove successful it is likely to be extended and potentially applied nationally.

For more information on the Ratings System and its Guiding Principles visit www.hrnz.co.nz

Courtesy of Stacey Markham, HRNZ

ADDINGTON STAKES INCREASE

After another satisfying financial performance in the 2015-2016 harness racing season, Addington is pleased to announce that total stakes and bonuses are set to rise over $400,000 for the upcoming 2016-2017 season to $8.1 million.

New Zealand Metropolitan Trotting Club Chair Barry Dent comments: “A cornerstone of our current business model is to ensure regular and sustainable increases in returns to
stakeholders are made whenever possible and with the last financial year being another good one for the Club we are pleased to be able to again reaffirm this approach for the
upcoming 2016-2017 racing season.”

He added: “This latest increase will see total stakes and bonuses rise to $8.1 million, with this amount up by 29% since 2012. With flat industry funding throughout this period, the
funds for these increases have been predominantly sourced from strong performing non-racing activities conducted by the Club.”

The focus of these increases sees the minimum stake set to rise to $8,000 in combination with opportunities to race for $13,000 available to all classes at most non-Premier Addington Raceway meetings. Eight Premier meetings will again be held with minimum
stakes of $20,000 per race.

Feature event increases include New Zealand’s richest race for trotters, the Haras Des Trotteurs Dominion Trot rising to $260,000 and the Woodlands NZ Pacing FFA also pushed up $10,000 to $260,000. Both events are scheduled to be held on Show Day,
which clearly remains

New Zealand’s second largest day of harness racing, behind Christchurch Casino New Zealand Trotting Cup Day.

The now famous Met Multiplier Bonus of $7500 and Breeders Bonus of $500 per win have also again been confirmed for the 2016-2017 season subject to the normal terms and conditions.

The 2015-2016 season saw nearly $310,000 paid collectively in bonuses to
qualified connections.

Courtesy of Addington Raceway

PROMISING WHITTAKER SPELLING FOR THREE WEEKS

Whittaker, a bold runner-up to Pacing Major in the Australasian Breeders Crown 2YO Heat at Addington last week, has been turned out for three weeks.

Overport Lodge trainer Mark Jones would have raced him again this week in his final week as 2YO but there was no suitable race for him, despite two days of racing at Addington.

Some consideration was given to continuing with a Breeders Crown tilt next month, but Gold Coast owner Greg Brodie preferred the option of targeting Sires Stakes racing with him in the spring.

“I’m not a fan of travelling young horses,” he said.

“I’m very happy with the way he’s finished off in his two races and I’m very much looking forward to his three-year-old racing.”

Whittaker, purchased out of the Leonne Jones stable after impressing in a 2YO trial and workout, won his Addington debut in style from an inside second row draw over 1950m on July 15.

He confirmed his potential second-up in the Breeders Crown Heat behind one of this season’s top juveniles in Pacing Major.

Whittaker, a colt by Sportswriter, was pushed out three wide by Pacing Major at the 600m and eased to trail the All Stars runner around the home turn.

He outfinished the pacemaking On The Rantan to grab second, over the leaders last 800m in a sharp 55s and final 400m in 26.5s.