Always back the horse named self-interest, son. It'll be the only one trying
There is a 3-year-old filly in New Zealand who has always puzzled me. Mr Kaplan is her name. Why is a filly called Mr Kaplan? She is by Betterthancheddar out of Time and Tide, so there is nothing in the bloodlines to suggest a reason for it. The owners names aren’t Kaplan. This filly is […]
A disgraced harness racing trainer banned from the industry for life has admitted a series of deceptions including selling a non-existent horse and then charging its new owners for expenses. Christchurch trainer Mitchell Kerr pleaded guilty to two charges of obtaining by deception and one representative charge of forgery in the Christchurch District Court on April 6. […]
To my way of thinking Robert Dunn’s past history of rule breach offences is enough on its own to disqualify him from eligibility for appointment to the board of the national harness racing governing body HRNZ, but clearly my views are not shared by either the law makers or by the other directors of the […]
This is sort of hard to believe, but those in the know assure me that it is utterly true. Former trainer Nigel McGrath is the 2nd year of an 8-year disqualification from harness racing for doping and conduct offences. He is a repeat offender who was embroiled in the infamous blue magic saga that cost […]
We told you a couple of days ago that Sheryl Wigg was back in the training business. As usual we were right. The early bird gets the worm. The badly treated bird gets a stay and a license.
NZ harness trainer Robert Dunn is a convicted drug cheat with a most unenviable rap sheet. In some places he would be deemed not a fit and proper person to hold a license. But not in the upper echelons of New Zealand racing administration, which is riddled with vested interests, conflicts, mates, an insatiable lust […]
Three weeks ago we told you and the world that NZ harness racing trainer/driver Sheryl Wigg was an odds on certainty to win her appeal against a 19 month disqualification on administration of unlawful substance charges. As usual we were right. Yesterday the High Court of New Zealand ordered that Wigg’s disqualification be stayed pending […]
Kowhai is a Maori word meaning yellow, which made it a good name for a pacer like the Kiwi pacer Kowhai Shadow, who until a fortnight ago had won just 2 races from 39 starts, both of them in times you can swim faster than with both legs tied together. Then Kowhai Shadow had 4 […]
Neville Playingfield is the most accurate trop tipster in New Zealand, a man so deadly that his best bets rarely ever lose, which is why we call him the Guru. I’d love to say he spent 80 hours a week poring over the form to find us one or two a week that will put […]
As yet unreleased but entirely accurate aggregated wagering figures for the last half year show that for the first time ever, Australian betting turnover on US harness racing has outstripped the amount bet on the code in New Zealand. If that doesn’t set red lights flashing I don’t know what will, because the US trots […]
