Always back the horse named self-interest, son. It'll be the only one trying
New Zealand reinsman Dylan Ferguson is the son of legendary Kiwi driver Peter Ferguson. Dylan is obviously pretty fond of his dad too. He must be, for why else would he do what he did in the first race at Manawatu today? Dylan Ferguson’s horse Monaro Meg was sitting on the leaders back when they […]
Cran, Carter and Chrissie Dalgety (pictured above)s The word according Lurch (John Dunn) out of the Woodend Beach bunker this week is that one of Cran and Chrissie Dalgety’s horses that raced at the recent Nelson meeting has thrown a positive swab to a prohibited substance. Lurch is telling people that the dirty swab has […]
It was back to the dark ages at Oamaru in New Zealand yesterday, when in farcical scenes an entire harness racing meeting was conducted without either photo finish equipment or electronic timing. Oamaru is no hick backwater joint. It’s the largest town in North Otago and is only 80km south of Phar Lap’s birthplace of […]
There are a million ways for a punter to lose their money. Here is yet another one. This is race 7 at Alexandra Park on Friday night and the horse we are watching is Run Forrest Run. It has had a comfortable sit three back in the running line in a weak race, and when […]
Lot 62 at this week’s NZ National Yearling sale in Auckland on the weekend is a beautifully bred colt by champion sire Bettors Delight out of the dual Group 3 winning mare Spellbound, a daughter of Art Major. He’s a cracking looking type too the colt, tall and rangy yet well structured and strong, with […]
The big harness racing news out of New Zealand is that multiple premiership winning trainer Mark Purdon is launching a North Island stable. Purdon, who in recent times has been in a training partnership with his son Nathan despite living in the North Island, will base his new operation out of Steven Reid’s former barns […]
Driver Derek Balle failed to give a sample when directed to at Alexandra Park last night too. He hasn’t been stood down, but an inquiry into the matter has been opened and adjourned. Derek Balle is Zev Meredith’s father-in-law. You remember Zev. He’s the driver who said he couldn’t come to the track after he […]
Driver Zev Meredith has a bit of history when it comes to failing drug tests. In 2021 he was suspended for 4 weeks (with 2 weeks suspended) after cannabis was detected in a sample he provided to Stewards. Meredith again failed a drug test in 2023 – cannabis again – and was this time suspended […]
Do you remember that Kiwi clown called Mark Jones? It’s okay if you don’t, because he’s not very memorable. Jones is the South Island trainer who threatened to sue us a year or back after we wrote a story featuring him that the poor precious dear didn’t like. He even went so far as to […]
Te Aroha trainer Shane Simon says he doesn’t have a problem with meth (known as P or Ice). No-one but him believes it. In November last year Simon threw a personal positive to the insidious, evil drug that has wrecked families and communities. He pleaded guilty of a breach of the prohibited substance rule, and […]
