The Methven Trotting Club is hosting a very special harness racing meeting on Sunday (Apr. 16) with New Zealand’s only three drivers to win over 3,000 races all competing in six events alongside local Canterbury drivers.
The three Maurice McKendry (3,378 wins stakes $30m) Tony Herlihy (3,639 and $36m) and local Ricky May (3052 and $33m) will also drive in a dual sulky race with three lucky local members of the club. Whilst this is a celebration of the sport it also is significant for locals with both Maurice and Ricky being born educated and starting their racing careers in the small Mid Canterbury town.
Maurice appears to have had the best luck in the draw with good chances in Janarty for Lawrence Hanrahan in Race 4, form trotter Izia for Ken Barron in Race 5, fast improving Motukarara pacer Franco Tim in Race 8 and heavily favoured Jimmy Rae for Ashburton trainer Johnny Morrison in Race 9.
Ricky has classy trotters Unico Vacanza Race 5 and Buffy Northstains Race 10 as perhaps his best chances while Tony’s hopes may lie in the same races with Lucky Way for Amber Leatherby and veteran local Boyz Invasion.
The Methven Club is very proud to be hosting Maurice, Ricky and Tony and are grateful to the North Island drivers for making the effort the weather for the weekend is forecast to be good and local patrons will get a rare chance to see the very best in action.
For complete race entries, click here.
by Mike Heenan, for the Methven Trotting Club