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McKendry and Shand combine for two wins

By Duane Ranger Trainer/Driver Maurice McKendry MNZM and owner Gerald Shand continued their prosperous association at Cambridge Raceway on Sunday. The combination was represented by two maiden winning three-year-olds on the card, both carrying the recognisable Shan name, Shanway and Shandance. “Both three-year-olds won well yesterday,” said Pukekohe-based McKendry.  Shandance is a sister of Shandale, who was also trained by McKendry. He finished third behind Lazarus and Classie Brigad...

Selections: Cambridge Raceway Sunday March 18

Selections by Duane Ranger for the Waikato-BOP Harness Racing Club’s meeting at Cambridge Raceway on Sunday (March 18) are: Race 1: Agincourt, Awa Catherine, RaveNation. Race 2: Shandance, Khadeesi Brogden,Womeninleague. Race 3: Helena Ideal, Volando Denario, PoppyDrayton. Race 4: For Tony, Lacey's Last, Pure Carbon. Race 5: Malabar Spur, Aoraki, Swinging. Race 6: Hughies Sister, Racketeer's Boy,Ardent Lustre. Race 7: Gold Orchid, Ideal Lass, Bettor Babe. Race 8: Queen Lostris, Step Up,Somewhe...

Gold Orchid has trained on well since Group 1 placing

By Duane Ranger Gold Orchid has trained on well since her gutsy third behind South Islanders Elle Mac and Delight in the $120,000 Gr.1 Pascoes The Jewellers Northern Oaks at Alexandra Park on March 2. And for that reason her trainer/driver Tony Herlihy (MNZM) believes the three-year-old daughter of Bettor’s delight and Honey Rose Falcon, can go close in Sunday’s fifth heat of the Nevele R Fillies Series for three-year-old pacers at the Cambridge Raceway. “She shouldn’t be too far away,�...

Club steward - Evan Wilson passes away

By Duane Ranger Drivers wore black arm bands in the last event of the Waikato-BOP Harness meeting last Wednesday night as a tribute to Cambridge Raceway’s hard-working ‘behind the scenes’ quiet achiever. Evan Victor Wilson, who was a steward at ‘The Raceway’ for several decades, passed away peacefully at the San Michele Home and Hospital, in Te Awamutu the Monday before the Cambridge meeting (March 5). He was 67. His wife of 43 years, Pat described him as a kind, caring man, who loved ...

Third career win behind Willedu for Nate Delany

By Duane Ranger Nate Delany says he will never forget Willedu and the faith the gelding’s trainer Eddie Clarke has put in him. The 18-year-old Pukekohe junior driver nailed his third career win behind Willedu at Cambridge Raceway on Wednesday night – and all three have been with the free-wheeling pace-making 4-year-old brown son of Elsu. “He loves to bowl along in front and doesn’t really like being smothered up in the field. I just want to thank Eddie for keeping me on the horse, becaus...

Selections for Waikato Bay of Plenty meeting 07.03.18

Duane Ranger: R1: The Persuader, Poppy Drayton, Scanreco Bay. R2: Ideal Star, The Coordinator, Inforthefight. R3: Sea Of Gold, Helena Ideal, Racketeers Boy. R4: Ally Mae, Rock N Shard, Better Be Donna. R5: Somewhereinbrooklyn, Yasmine Bromac, Queen Lostris. R6: Shay Scott, Malabar Spur, Monseigneur. R7: The C E O, Volando Denario, Idealistic. R8: Awhi Mai, Rave Nation, Flying Taine. Best Bet: Awhi Mai (R8). Longshot: That Girl Of Mine (R8).Rob Lawson:Race 1:   Redmaro, Scanre...

‘Punter’s friend’ to oblige again at Cambridge?

By Duane Ranger There's few horsemen or horsewomen that consistently boast a UDR strike-rate of six or more but the ‘punter's friend’ looks likely to increase that even more when she lines up in the first event at Cambridge Raceway on Wednesday night. Sheryl Wigg finished out of the money three times in 16 amateur drives this season, winning seven times, running second on five occasions, and placing third once. That trend looks like it will continue in...

Blood And Whisky & ‘Strike Won’ Juniors win Grass Track awards

By Duane Ranger The joint patron of Waikato – Bay Of Plenty Harness, Cliff Thomas, is delighted that Rangioraowner Shane Kirwan is the 2018 winner of the Noreen Thomas Memorial Cup. Kirwan owns the Michelle Wallis and Bernie Hackett (Waiuku) trained Blood And Whisky, which won the ‘2018 Grass Track Series’ that was contested at Thames (January 13), Te Awamutu (January 20) and Tauranga (January 28) this season. The 5-year-old Pegasus Spur gelding accumulated the most points over the three m...

Dead-heat a personal highlight for 'Team Teal' ambassador

By Duane Ranger Lyn Neal has experienced many highs in her 36 years as a driver but she described dead-heating with Samantha Ottley at Cambridge Raceway on Thursday night as one of the personal highlights of her career. “It was my first dead-heat and to share it with Sam was such a thrill. We both wore the teal pants and we were both delighted to have been 'Team Teal' ambassadors. “I enjoy raising money and awareness for any people in need, but the Woman’s Cancer Foundation and ovarian can...

Selections: Cambridge 22.02.2018

-Duane Ranger: Race 1: Franco Caliph, Poppy Drayton, Redmaro. Race 2: Knights Desire, For Tony, Pocket Miss. Race 3: Christanna, Ruebe Star, Doubledelightbrigade. Race 4: Shandance, Shanway, American Avenue. Race 5: Bar Room Brawl, Caitlin's Surprise, Shay Scott. Race 6: Helena Ideal, Atom Hanover, Gotta Go Jet Away. Race 7: Il Pirata, Luck Of The Moment, Majestic Stride. Race 8: Real Eagle, Makers Mark, Cherokee Warrior. Race 9: Angus Fogg, Rave Nation, Sequoia. Best bet: Bar Room Brawler (R5)....

Group 1 winning girls excited to be at Cambridge

By Duane Ranger Two visiting Group One winning South Island reinswomen will spice up the Waikato Bay of Plenty Harness meeting on Thursday (February 22). Both Samantha Ottley and Sheree Tomlinson said they were honoured to be asked to take part “Ladies 'Team Teal' Ambassadors Night” at Cambridge Raceway. “I just want to thank the Club, owners, and trainers for allowing us to drive at Cambridge – and also the drivers who have stepped aside for us. It will be my first time driving at ‘Th...

$10k of Dunstan Horse Feeds' prizes up for grabs again

By Duane Ranger With just over four months of the Waikato-BOP Harness Racing season remaining, Dunstan Horse Feeds has once again dug deep and sponsored $10,000 worth of prizes at Cambridge Raceway. Dave Smith of Dunstan Horse Feeds said he was delighted to be continuing to support Cambridge Raceway. “This is the fourth year we have sponsored Cambridge Raceway and they are such a good crew to work with, especially Dave (Branch) and Charlotte (Mooney)," said Smith. “I also enjo...

WBOP hosts Team Teal Ambassadors

 Waikato Bay Of Plenty Harness Racing is set to support Team Teal in a big way next Thursday 22 February.  The club is thrilled to announce that they will host the three ambassadors for Team Teal in Nicky Chilcott, Sam Ottley and Sheree Tomlinson. Nicky of course is a local identity, and Sheree and Sam will available for driving engagements at the meeting.  The track holds fond memories for Sam, after she won the Group 1 Four-Year-Old Diamond with Rocker Band in 2016. “It’s ju...

Benjamin Butcher lands double at Cambridge

By Duane Ranger Cambridge-based junior driver Benjamin Butcher might have been living in the shadow of his father David and older brother Zachary in recent seasons, but this year he has stamped his mark as a quality reinsman. This was evident at his home track on Thursday night when the 22-year-old registered a double on the eight-race card. Butcher drove the Frank Cooney and Tate Hopkins-trained Somewhereinbrooklyn ($3.90 favourite) to win the fourth event by three-quarters-of-a-length, a...

Selections for Thursday 08.02.18 at Cambridge Raceway

by Duane Ranger R1: Scranreco Bay, Vanhalem, Poppy Drayton. R2: Ideal Holiday, Alta Mach, Erik. R3: Mrs Zippy, Volando Denario, Doubledelightbrigade. R4: R Gee Bee, Somewhereinbrooklyn, HelenaIdeal. R5: Yasmine Bromac, Sally O'Malley, Shandance. R6: Paramount King, Anse vata, Shay Scott. R7: Ivana Flybye, Positano, Ruebe Star. R8: Phoebe Imperial, Malabar Spur, Hot N Fast....

Jewels winner primed to win first-up

By Duane Ranger There's no such thing as a race-course certainty but last start Jewels 2yo Ruby champion, Paramount King, looks exactly that in the sixth event at Cambridge Raceway on Thursday night. Even his former Cambridge-and-now-Clevedon based co-trainer, John Dickie, thinks he should win, but warns there are bigger fish to fry in the coming weeks. "This is his first race since early June. We put him out for four months after the Jewels and he's had a long, slow build-up for this. We don't ...

Paynter’s best season just keeps getting better

By Duane Ranger Cambridge conditioner, Ross Paynter, extended his personal best season when he trained the winners of the last two races on the Tauranga grass at Gate Pa on Sunday. Paynter got the chocolates when Liz Rulz won the $8,000 Tauranga Citizens Club Mobile for the R40 to R48 pacers, and Brookies Prince got up in the $8,000 North Island Trainers & Drivers Association R53 to R56 pace. They were driven by stable employee Fergus Schumacher, and Sailesh Abernethy respectively. Paynter was t...

Banner Of Art justifies Brownlee’s faith in him

By Duane Ranger Pokeno trainer, Ival Brownlee, admitted Banner Of Art was testing his patience so much so he could have easily been given the red card had he not performed at Cambridge Raceway on Thursday night. Potentially the best horse he has trained, Brownlee also termed him pedantic and unreliable, adding that he should have won on debut 19 starts ago. “I don’t know how many times I’ve taken him to the track thinking he was a winner and then something would go wrong, or he would not t...

Selections: Tauranga 28.01.18

by Duane Ranger Race 1: Malabar Spur, Dauntless, Majestic One. Race 2: Western Zephyr, Babyfacenelson, Rosa Belle. Race 3: Il Pirata, George, Primus Inter Pares. Race 4: Real Eagle, Ohoka Maximus, Phillydotcom. Race 5: Blood And Whisky, Massive Metro, Credit Master. Race 6: Gotta Moment, Miss Zippy, Anna Barclay. Race 7: Mo Casino, Italian Delight, Fleeting Grin. Race 8: Eldolar, Spare Change, Redmaro. Race 9: R Gee Bee, The C E O, Megatron. Race 10: Cherokee Warrior, Loud An Proud, Doubledeligh...

Reid poised to nail his First Tauranga Cup

By Duane Ranger Pukekohe trainer, Steven Reid, looks set to train his first Tauranga Grass Cup winner at Gate Pa on Sunday. The 48-year-old, who won the national training premiership in 1997-1998, thinks he has the horse to do it. Reid has just one runner lining up at the Waikato Bay of Plenty Harness meeting – the likely favourite, Mo Casino, in the $10,000 Gartshore Group Tauranga Grass Cup for the R60 to R86 pacers. “He’s handicapped to win and he should be winning this off the front li...

Selections: Cambridge Raceway 25.01.18

by Duane Ranger Race 1: Alta Mach, Toro Delago, Random Chance. Race 2: Positano, Somewhereinbrooklyn, Jamieson Shard. Race 3: American Brave, Matai Valour, Parker. Race 4: Ansa Vata, Shay Scott, Oto Invasion. Race 5: Gottabearose, Shadow Maker, Hezaluckygrinner. Race 6: Erik, Bit Of A Tiger, Tonto. Race 7: Star Of Olesya, Hot N fast, Just Anything. Race 8: Scanreco Bay, Vanhalen, Lynton Creek....

Seven year drought over for Murray Logan?

by Duane Ranger Te Awamutu trainer Murray Logan hasn’t trained a winner since December 30, 2010, but the 70-year-old has a good chance of breaking that drought in the first race at Cambridge Raceway on Thursday. Logan, who is a psychiatric nurse in Mangakino, also owns and bred Toro Delago, who will start from gate six in the $8,000 Brogden Horse Transport Mobile for the maiden pacers. “He was dehydrated when he last lined up at Cambridge on Christmas Eve, but before that his five starts thi...

First hatrick for Tony Cameron

By Duane Ranger One of the North Island's leading junior drives nailed his first hatrick at Waipa on the Te Awamutu grass on Saturday. Tony Cameron, who has won 10 races this season – six behind the pace-making Ben Butcher, saluted the judge behind the Michelle and Bernie Hackett trained duo of Madhubala (race two) and Blood And Whisky (race six), and the Frank Cooney & Tate Hopkins trained Somewhereinbrooklyn (race seven). “I’m rapt. That’s my first treble. I’ve drive two winners at a...

Selections: Waipa Jan 20

by Duane Ranger R1: Scanreco Bay, Redmaro, Happy Magic. R2: Rave Nation, Jansson, Brooks Belle. R3: Phillydotcom, Della May, Zen. R4: Secretofthesea Smile, Awa Cathrine, Majestic Stride. R5:Wicklow Star, Cha Cha B, Nicky's On Fire. R6: Aoraki, November Guy, Monseigneur. R7: Somewhereinbrooklyn, Bettor Buy A Rose, Grey Skies. R8: Fleeting Grin, Black Chevron, Marshall Star. R9: Lambros, Forever Pearl, Whale Rider. R10: Our Wicklow, Charlie Harper, McLeod's Daughter. R11: Rangi Rangdu, Itsokbeingb...

Fleeting Grin to go one better in Te Awamutu Cup?

by Duane Ranger Standing start specialist Fleeting Grin will be looking to go one better when he contests his second Te Awamutu Cup at the Waipa Racecourse on Saturday. The 7-year-old Grinfromeartoear gelding went within a length of the John and Josh Dickie trained Joanednobettor in the last Te Awamutu Grass Cup, which was on December 28, 2016. His Raglan trainer, Chris Webber, said he only needs a good trip to be a serious threat. “The 30m won’t bother him because he’s a very good standin...