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Aussie young guns lurking

There is only one group that strikes more fear into New Zealand harness racing drivers than battle-hardened Australians intent on leading our major races.That is young, fearless Australians who could do just about anything - a perfect recipe for the $900,000 The Race by Grins at Cambridge on Thursday night.Four of the young stars of New South Wales descend on Cambridge for the inaugural running of New Zealand's first major slot race and they add a dimension to the race often lacking in domestic ...

WATCH: TAB NZ's The Race By Grins Preview Show

The Race by Grins is almost upon us! Matt Cross and Craig 'The Whale' Thompson are joined by Brittany Graham from Sky Racing Australia to preview Thursday's maiden running of The Race by Grins in Cambridge....

WATCH: The Box Seat The Race By Grins Special

The Race by Grins at Cambridge Raceway is finally here. Check out this comprehensive preview with all the good oil #GIANThand...

Trainer-driver Brett Mangos - South Coast Arden ripe for picking in $900,000 The Race

Brent Mangos has fired the first tactical shots with South Coast Arden ahead of the $900,000 The Race By Grins.If the Pukekohe trainer-driver gets his way, his second-favourite could be settling a long way in front of favourite Self Assured in the big-money slot race at Cambridge on Thursday.The two favourites drew potentially the worst two barriers when South Coast Arden got barrier seven and Self Assured barrier eight for the 2200m mobile.Self Assured's trainer-driver Mark Purdon says he expec...

Dexter Dunn protégé Jack Trainor sitting pretty with Stylish Memphis

When Dexter Dunn was really starting to make his mark in New Zealand about 13 years ago, he took a young kid under his wing.It was a life-changing gesture for the then 14-year-old Jack Trainor, who is now one the emerging forces of Australia’s training and driving ranks.Trainor, now based out of the huge Menangle training complex in Sydney, is back home in NZ preparing for the most special moment of his career so far. He trains and drives star mare Stylish Memphis, a key player in the inaugura...

Self Assured will need huge effort after draw for $900,000 race

Champion trainer Mark Purdon concedes favourite Self Assured is going to need to produce the performance of his career to win the $900,000 The Race by Grins at Cambridge on Thursday night. But he takes comfort in knowing the superstar pacer is in the right form to do that.The long-time favourite drew the outside of the front line in New Zealand's first major slot race over 2200m mobile on Thursday.Purdon says that will mean pulling back, maybe all the way to last before making a mid-race move, h...

The Race by Grins Barrier Draw this Saturday

Join us on Saturday night for the live barrier draw for #TheRaceByGrins! Hosted by TV personality Michael Guerin, this exclusive event is a great chance to mix and mingle with slot holders and owners of horses in The Race by Grins. Doors open: 6.30pmLive barrier draw: 7.30pmBar closes: 8.30pmDress code: Smart CasualTickets: $100 Ticket price includes finger food and beverages. Buy Now https://cambridgeraceway.flicket.co.nz/.../reservation OR catch the live stream at: https://iframe.dacast.com/...

Hart pumping for The Race

Top New South Wales harness racing driver Cameron Hart is ready to tackle another career highlight.Fresh from driving a treble at Menangle on Tuesday as well as three winners at that venue last Saturday night, the 637-time winner is packing his bags to head over to New Zealand for the $900,000NZ The Race at Cambridge on April 14.Following the news that talented mare Spellbound was withdrawn from the slot race, Hart’s drive Majestic Cruiser was offered a spot in the inaugural feature. Afte...

Majestic Cruiser has been confirmed for The Race by Grins

Inter Dominion-winning trainer Jason Grimson can’t wait to be part of the inaugural $900,000 The Race  by Grins at Cambridge on Thursday week.Grimson happily accepted a late call-up with new stable star Majestic Cruiser when injury forced star mare Spellbound out of the race.“I had one condition … that he’d only go if Cam Hart went across and drove him,” Grimson said. “Cam’s really helped make this horse and deserves to drive him.” The other “deal maker” for Grimson...

The Race contenders on target

Everything looks on target for Stylish Memphis and Alta Orlando heading towards Thursday week’s $900,000 The Race by Grins at Cambridge. Both pleased connections in defeat behind the very much in-form and classy Majestic Cruiser in a free-for-all at Menangle on Saturday night.Stylish Memphis absolutely smashed the clock making plenty of ground from near last to finish fifth. While Alta Orlando led and improved a lot on the previous week by fighting on strongly to finish second, beaten just a h...

Spellbound withdrawn

Classy mare Spellbound has been withdrawn from The Race by Grins, following a freak paddock injury.  As per the The Race terms & conditions, slot holders have until 11am tomorrow (Tuesday April 5) to make their final face acceptances, which means the slot holders have just under 24 hours to find and nominate a replacement horse to take their slot.  The $900,000 The Race by Grins (2200m) takes place at Cambridge Raceway on Thursday June 14. The barrier draw will be streamed li...

Alta Orlando "still all go" for The Race

One of the young men charged with flying the Australian flag in The Race by Grins at Cambridge on April 14 says he isn’t losing too much sleep over Alta Orlando’s defeat at Menangle on Saturday. The shock inclusion in the new $900,000 slot race led but was run down into fourth in the Group 3 at Menangle against horses inferior to those he will meet at Cambridge but driver Jack Callaghan says it wasn’t all the veteran pacer’s fault.“He is a horse who takes a lot of work and he had ...

New Zealand’s new $900,000 slot event The Race set for April 14 debut

Slot racing is not everyone’s cup of tea.But it has certainly been a huge hit Down Under and now harness racing is about to have its first dabble.Australian thoroughbred racing started it Down Under with The Everest, which is now in its sixth year and quickly established as one of the greatest races on the very strong Australian racing calendar. It even rivals historic and ironic thoroughbred features like the Melbourne Cup and Cox Plate for interest and coverage.This year’s Everest in Octob...

Excitement building for the inaugural The Race, by Grins

There is plenty of excitement surrounding SENZ’s slot in Harness Racing’s New Zealand newest innovation - The Race, by Grins. Self Assured, trained by Mark Pardon and Hayden Cullen, is holding the hopes of the SENZ team for the inaugural running of The Race which takes place at Cambridge Raceway on April 14. SENZ has pledged to allow listeners to share in the opportunity and has been giving away 0.5% shares in Self Assured with the potential to win up to $2,000.So far there are five lucky li...

Jack ready to pack his bags for The Race

The rise and rise of top young Aussie harness racing driver Jack Callaghan will continue in New Zealand next month.Callaghan, 20, was thrilled to learn one of his favourite pacers Alta Orlando had snared a spot in the inaugural $NZ900,000 The Race at Cambridge on April 14.It will be Callaghan’s first time driving outside of Australia.“He’s been such a great and important horse in my career, it’s only fitting he’s the first one I’ll drive in NZ,” Callaghan said.“He was the first r...

Grins get around The Race

Grins, the Ready To Drink alcoholic beverage created by All Black legend Stephen Donald and current All Blacks Anton Lienert-Brown and Damian McKenzie, is the naming rights sponsor of The Race.  The Race by Grins, at Cambridge Raceway on Thursday April 14, is the first harness racing slot race in Australasia and New Zealand’s richest standardbred race with a stake of $900,000.   “We’ve signed up for three years and we’re going to be with Cambridge Raceway every step of the...

Contrasting fortunes for The Race contenders at Addington and Auckland

By Michael Guerin The All Stars team for harness racing’s new slot race may not be finalised just yet.Because after wins and losses at Alexandra Park and Addington on Friday night their options for the $900,000 The Race at Cambridge on April 14 seem to be growing.Trainers Mark Purdon and Hayden Cullen already have the favourite Self Assured in the new race and he was stunning winning at Alexandra Park.The fact he could come from last over the 1700m of The Founders and win so easily suggested h...

Aussie presence grows for The Race

By Michael GuerinHarness racing’s $900,000 slot race secured maybe its most important contender yet with Australian visitor Mach Dan already in Auckland to prepare for The Race.Mach Dan is the second of two Australian-based pacers to secure slots in The Race in the last two days, with former Kiwi mare Spellbound also now coming to the April 14 race at Cambridge on a hit and run mission.That means nine slots in the new race, based on The Everest concept, are as good as gone with one signing sti...

Second mare enters The Race

by Adam HamiltonNathan Purdon can’t wait to return “home” to notch up the next milestone of his blossoming training career.It was confirmed today that Purdon’s brilliant mare Spellbound would fill the “Hole in the Wall” slot in the inaugural $900,000 The Race at Cambridge on April 14.It’s so fitting that Spellbound will be the pacer to give Purdon his first crack at winning a big race back in NZ since moving to Australia to continue his career about 16 months ago.“Amazing Dream h...

Five down, five to go for The Race

by Dave Di Somma, Harness News DeskThe Race is now half full. Northern star Hot and Treacherous has become the fifth horse to be confirmed for Australasia's first ever slot race, the $900,000 The Race at Cambridge on April 14.Trained by the father and son partnership of Brian and Gareth Hughes, Hot And Treacherous will race for slot-holder the Honey Bros. John Green is a director of the company and has a long association with the Hughes, having trained with Brian for a decade till 2013.The ...

Stylish Memphis confirmed for The Race

by Adam HamiltonMighty mare Stylish Memphis is heading back home for a tilt at the inaugural $900,000 The Race at Cambridge on April 14.And another fine Kiwi product, young gun horseman Jack Trainor, is going with her.The only question is when and how long Trainor returns home.“I’m super excited to get a chance to go back home and drive in a really big race like this, especially on a mare who’s been as great to me as Stylish Memphis,” Trainor said.“It’s happened pretty quickly. Jones...

Draw crucial to South Coast Arden's success

By Michael GuerinBrent Mangos got the proof he was hoping for in the City Of Auckland Free-For-All on Friday night.Proof that when South Coast Arden draws to lead he can win any race in New Zealand, and that includes the $900,000 The Race at Cambridge in just over a month.The giant pacer re-enacted his New Zealand Free-For-All triumph over Self Assured when he led early in the mobile 2200m at Alexandra Park and trainer-driver Mangos kept the hammer down over the last 800m in 54.8 seconds to just...

Krug camp takes Aussie Lads slot in The Race

Kentuckiana Lodge has confirmed that Krug's secured a start in Australasia’s first-ever slot race.Currently racing in Australia, Krug is the third horse to secure a place in April's "The Race", along with Self Assured (SENZ) and Pembrook Playboy (Dunstan Horse Feeds).With Krug a champion two and three-year-old and now having established himself as an open class star, the opportunity by slot holders Aussie Lads to start in The Race is one trainers Cran and Chrissie Dalgety simply had to take.�...

Hot And Treacherous looms as a contender for The Race

Champion driver Maurice McKendry says Hot And Treacherous wouldn’t be out of place in the $900,000 The Race as competition for slots starts to heat up.Hot And Treacherous showed manners, speed and courage to win the $30,000 IRT Summer Cup at Alexandra Park on Friday night, continuing his steady improvement curve for trainers Brian and Gareth Hughes.It was his ninth career win from 25 starts and capped a good run of form that has seen him close up behind Self Assured (who has a slot) and Krug (...

SENZ acquires slot in 'The Race' New Zealand

Sports Entertainment Network’s SENZ national radio platform has pledged to allow listeners to share in the opportunity after securing a slot in New Zealand harness racing’s newest innovation.SENZ confirmed today it had bought one of 10 slots in ‘The Race’ for the next three years – an innovative trots race based on Sydney thoroughbred race The Everest.Sports Entertainment Network’s SENZ national radio platform has pledged to allow listeners to share in the opportunity after securing ...