After decades of dominating the New Zealand harness racing scene, trotting icon Mark Purdon is finding himself in unfamiliar territory as he prepares to line-up his first thoroughbred at Riccarton on Saturday – nervous.
With runners in action at four different venues, the influence of New Zealand’s leading stable is set to be felt far and wide this weekend.
Stablemates Burn To Shine and Codigo will continue their friendly rivalry on their return to Hastings on Saturday.
As Ken and Bev Kelso prepare to saddle the hot favourite for Saturday’s Gr.1 Arrowfield Stud Plate (1600m) at Hastings, the Matamata trainers are hoping the warm and windy weather predicted for Hawke’s Bay on Thursday and Friday will lift the track conditions up out of the heavy range.
In a coup for the racing industry, equine domestic flights between Auckland and Christchurch are set to return from next month.
Danny Walker believes he has found his horse of a lifetime.
Cambridge trainer Andrew Forsman sees a simple equation for his classy mare Mustang Valley ahead of Saturday’s Gr.1 Arrowfield Stud Plate (1600m), the wetter the better.
Hastings’ loss will be Te Rapa’s gain with the well-performed filly Impendabelle to now stay closer to home for her next step toward a Group One target.
Peter McKay came close on Wednesday morning to trimming his Hawke’s Bay-bound team down before leaving all six of his runners in the mix for the trip south.
Cambridge trainer Chris Wood will be represented by three runners at his home meeting on the all-weather track on Wednesday with the in-form Side Eye promising to be his best chance.
Former pinhooking prospects Seamsew and Lhasa will go head-to-head at Cambridge’s synthetic meeting on Wednesday in the Magnum Industries 1300.
Rangiotu trainer Stephen Nickalls is hoping the rain sticks around in Hastings ahead of the second day of the Hawke’s Bay Spring Carnival on Saturday.
