Fun Facts – IRT Harness Jewels

The Pick 6 at Sunday’s Harness Jewels will be terminating and guaranteed to at least $50,000. All First 4s on the day will be $10,000 guaranteed

Three of the country’s fastest miles have been set at the Harness Jewels. 

In the pacing ranks The Orange Agent won in 2015 in 1:51.1 as a threeyear-old filly, and Border Control won in a record 1:50.6 in 2013.  Sunny Ruby set the trotting record for her sex going 1:54.7 in 2015.   All three records were set at Ashburton.

Only one Australian has ever won the Harness Jewels.

Shez All Rock broke an 11 year drought when she romped home by five lengths in 2018. While she was officially an Australian visitor she was being trained by the All Stars at the time and was driven by the Jewels’ most successful driver Mark Purdon.

Favourites have a good strike-rate at the Harness Jewels, having won 65 of the 111 races.

This year though it won’t be easy for some of the hotspots, with second line draws for the likes of Amazing Dream, Krug, and Copy That.   Charlemagne was a back to back Harness Jewels winner for trainer Colin Butler and driver Philip Butcher. In 2012 at Cambridge they were 12/12 in the betting, paying $90.70 for the win. It remains the biggest winning dividend at any Harness Jewels. In 2013 the same combo was victorious at Ashburton, this time paying $12.60.

Plenty of horses have won two Harness Jewels

They include New Zealand Cup winners Adore Me, Terror To Love and Changeover but only one horse has won three – Sky Major in 2013,2014 and 2015. His fastest time was 1:52 as a three-year-old at Cambridge.

Only three racecourses have been used for the Harness Jewels since its inception in 2007.

Cambridge is about to host its seventh, Ashburton has been the venue six times, and Addington just the once – the last time the Jewels were held in 2019.

With 27 wins Mark Purdon is the most successful Harness Jewels driver

By far, and has four more drives on Sunday, though it’s his partner Natalie Rasmussen who’s in for a much busier day. She has a drive in all nine races. Her impressive book of drives includes Amazing Dream, True Fantasy, Bettor Twist and South Coast Arden.

Of all the active trainers Barry Purdon is the most successful at this year’s Harness Jewels.

He has seven training success so far, still 20 behind his brother Mark, and he will have eight runners this Sunday including three Montanas, Montana D J, Miki Montana and Montana Glory.

History says it should be fine for Harness Jewels day at Cambridge.

Only once before in the 14 year history of the Jewels has it rained, and that was at the last Jewels at Addington. And it absolutely pelted down!

HRNZ