Harness snippets

The owners of Pinseeker (Downbytheseaside) which had a good win at Addington on Saturday confirmed after the race they’d purchased a harness racing yearling at the NZB Standardbred Christchurch Sales in February.

Pinseeker’s trainer Jonny Cox purchased a Tall Dark Stranger colt named Olympian for $70,000 post sale on behalf of Iain Wilson, Peter Brinsdon, Jason Wood, Bernie McKone, Phil Stephens, Logan Boersma and Gary May.

His dam American Tart by American Ideal won nine races for the Dunns.

“Steven Boyd broke him in and did a great job. I picked him up on Thursday and a couple of the owners came out and watched him bowl round. He’s a lovely horse, a nice moving type. He’ll go straight to the paddock for a month to six weeks. I talked to Johnny Dunn about American Tart, and he said she was a lovely horse to train and drive so hopefully she’s left a nice one,” Cox said.

Midnight Babe (Bettor’s Delight) the last foal out of twenty two race winner Beaudiene Bad Babe (Badlands Hanover) won on debut at Motukarara today for trainer Tom Bamford. Bred by Todd and Fleur Anderson, Midnight Babe was sold at the 2021 NZB Standardbred Auckland Yearling Sales to Ronnie Dawe and Rakero Racing for $70,000.

The New Zealand Harness Racing Trainers and Junior Drivers’ Premierships is particularly tight.

Carter Dalgety still leads the junior driver table with 24 wins but with both Wilson House (21) and Sam Thornley (20) winning races at the Mot today the gap has closed. House and Thornley sponsored Race Six which was won by House driving Flyaway (Art Major) for John McDermott, while Thornley was a close third with Black Mach (Mach Three).

In the training premiership Steve and Amanda Telfer hold a four win buffer over Robert and Jenna Dunn after today’s meeting at Banks Peninsula.

Blair Orange (49) has an eleven win lead in the driver’s premiership over John Dunn (38) with Sam Ottley on 35.

It’s coming down to the pointy end of the first half of the season in the deep south.

The last heats of both the G2 Macca Lodge/Nevele R Stud Southern Oaks and G2 Alabar Southern Supremacy Stakes Series will be held on Saturday 13^th April at Winton. Both finals are worth $60,000 and will be run on Diamonds Day a week later.

The Winton HRC will host their first ever Group race with the first running of the Group Two $70,000 Entain Two Year Old Fillies Mobile Pace over 1609 metres.

The $25,000 Winton Cup and $40,000 Southern Belle Speed Series Final will also be run on what’s turning into a super card.

by Bruce Stewart, for Harnesslink