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Chilcott posts poignant win

By BARRY LICHTER They say a picture is worth a thousand words and this image of Nicky Chilcott saluting to the heavens as Reign hits the winning post at Cambridge is a perfect illustration. In what Nicky later described as the most emotion-charged moment of her nearly three decades in the sulky, the expression on her face was enough to tell a remarkable story. It came just four days after part-owner Cliff Thomas died at the age of 90 and was on the eve of his funeral. The fairytale win with a tr...

Donnelly doubles up at Cambridge

By Joshua Smith, Harness News Desk It was a night of doubles for Arna Donnelly at Cambridge Raceway on Thursday night. The local horsewoman secured a quinella in the Waikato Cup (2700m) before she doubled up a race later, getting another quinella in The Race 14th April Mobile Pace (2200m). Rough And Ready led home the stable quinella in the Waikato Cup after a positive drive from David Butcher who took luck out of the equation when he sent his charge forward to the lead with two laps to go. He w...

Vale Cliff Thomas

By Barry Lichter Cliff Thomas had such a wide circle of friends his family could never have found a venue big enough to celebrate his life had it not been for Covid restrictions. But since Cliff died at the age of 90 at his Morrinsville home on Sunday night, they’ve had an even bigger headache trying to restrict to 100 people Friday’s gathering at the Kereone Rugby and Sports Club. That Cliff should be remembered there was logical given that in 1952 he helped carve out the Campbell Park grou...

Butcher scores first NZ training success

By Joshua Smith, Harness News Desk It was a night of celebration for Shane Butcher at Cambridge Raceway on Wednesday. The South Auckland horseman recorded his first New Zealand training success courtesy of Sharkine in the Team Teal Fundraiser 10 March At CR Mobile Pace (2200m). While pleased to get the win, Butcher was more animated for his partner Monika Ranger who reined home the mare, posting her second driving success. “When I was in Perth, I trained a winner over there, but it was pretty ...

Southern trotter takes gold at Cambridge

By Joshua Smith, Harness News Desk Bob Butt loves it when a plan comes off. The Woodend Beach trainer identified the Gr.3 Harcourts TA – Waikato Trotting Breeders’ Stakes (2700m) as a good chance to gain some black-type for his mare Gold Chain and she duly delivered at Cambridge Raceway on Friday. In the hands of local reinsman Matthew White, Gold Chain made a solid start from her 30m handicap. White sat patiently at the back of the pack before hopping on the back of Silver Power to sit in t...

Patient owners toast maiden success

By Joshua Smith, Harness News Desk Hey Bartender has been a test in patience for trainer James Stormont and his group of owners, but they were rewarded for their perseverance at Cambridge Raceway on Thursday. The four-year-old gelding was making his debut in The Clubhouse Hole In 1 Challenge Sundays Mobile Pace (2200m) and made the perfect start to his career, winning by 3-1/4 lengths. He didn’t have it all his own way. He was stuck in an early speed duel with Major Thomas before Stormont elec...

Sentimental win for Harrison

By Joshua Smith, Harness News Desk It was a special moment for local reinswoman Alicia Harrison as she saluted the judge following the Revell Douglas Memorial Junior Driver Series Mobile Pace (2200m) at Cambridge Raceway on Thursday night. Harrison reined home The Sportsman to win the race named in honour of Douglas, who passed away last year. Harrison had driven for the well-liked South Auckland horseman on several occasions and she said it was an honour to win a race named in his memory. “He...

Great Southern Star in the offing for Bolt For Brilliance

By Joshua Smith, Harness News DeskA trip across the Tasman could be on the cards for exciting trotter Bolt For Brilliance after his dominant win in the Gr.3 Les Harrison Transport Cambridge Flying Stakes (2200m) at Cambridge Raceway on Thursday. The son of Muscle Hill pressed forward early from his wide barrier and assumed control of the race with a mile to go. He was left unchallenged in front and ran away to a comfortable 4-1/2 length victory over Massive Metro, setting a n...

Sacred Mountain the latest trans-Cook winner

By BARRY LICHTER Nicky Chilcott’s rib injuries might have prevented her from driving Sacred Mountain to a dominant win at Cambridge on Thursday night but the call from delighted Melbourne owner Merv Butterworth after the race more than compensated for it. Chilcott, still nursing her injuries from a heavy crash from Monkey Selfie on Christmas Eve, took over the training of the Muscle Hill filly only two months ago, one of two horses Butterworth sent north from Southland under Cambridge’s summ...

Cambridge Raceway launch The Race

Cambridge Raceway is excited to announce the details of their highly anticipated slot race, simply named ‘The Race’ to be held on the April 14, 2022. The ground-breaking feature race is New Zealand’s first slot style race, a concept that has proved popular internationally, and Australasia’s first slot race in the harness racing code. The Race will carry a total stake of $900,000 in the first year, making it New Zealand’s richest harness race with prize money expected to surpass $1 mill...

Cliff Thomas celebrates 90th birthday

Cliff Thomas has been looking out for Nicky Chilcott from the time she packed her bags and ran away from home at the age of eight. So four decades later, when Cliff celebrated his 90th birthday with a group of long-time friends in Cambridge, the story of how he recognised her walking on the side of the road and took her home wasn’t the only one told over a few beers.Nicky will tell you that nobody has been more supportive of her career than Cliff, co-patron of the Waikato-Bay of Plenty Harness...

Cambridge double for Mangos

By Joshua Smith, Harness News Desk Brent Mangos celebrated the Auckland-Waikato border opening with a winning double at Cambridge Raceway on Thursday. The Pukekohe horseman opened his account courtesy of juvenile filly Ilovelucy, who broke through for her maiden win in the Ike Unsworth Bayleys Pace (2200m). It was the third start for the daughter of Sweet Lou, having placed on debut at Cambridge last month before finishing eighth at Alexandra Park. “She went a really good race,” said Mangos,...

Travel subsidy paying off at Cambridge

Recipients of Cambridge Raceway’s inter-island summer travel subsidy had a rewarding night at the Waikato track on Thursday. Tommysonaroll enjoyed victory in the Dunstan Recovery Mash Mobile Pace (2200m), while Yea You and Prince Envy recorded the quinella in the Merry Christmas From Dunstan Mobile Trot (2200m). All three horses benefited from the travel subsidy, which funds the return travel via TFS Horse Transport of up to two horses per trainer from the South Island to the Waikato to race a...

B D Joe continues Cambridge dream run

By Joshua Smith, Harness News Desk B D Joe continued his golden run at Cambridge Raceway on Thursday when he won the Dunstan Celebrates 35 Years Handicap Pace (2700m). It was the three-year-old’s fourth win from as many starts at the Waikato track, highlighted by his victory in the Gr.1 Harness Jewels 3YO Emerald (1609m) back in June. Beginning from behind the 35m tape B D Joe was tardily away, however, driver David Butcher didn’t have to press his charge too much to catch the field, with Bu...

Hall savours success in the sulky

By Joshua Smith, Harness News Desk Tim Hall was celebrating double success at Cambridge Raceway on Thursday. Not only did he train Berani to win the O’Connor Warren Mobile Pace (2200m), but he drove the gelding too, breaking a seven-year drought in the sulky. “I haven’t really driven much over the last couple of years, but I thought it would be a good idea this time in to sit behind a few of them,” Hall said. “He went good and was travelling the whole way. I had to hold him around that...

Cambridge double for local trainer

By Joshua Smith, Harness News Desk Local trainer Mike Berger had the perfect result at Cambridge Raceway on Friday night, posting two wins from two runners. “It was a good night, we will take it,” Berger said. Juvenile pacer Cos I Can opened Berger’s account when breaking maiden ranks in the Thames Harness Racing Club At Cambridge Mobile Pace (2200m). The son of Always B Miki was taken back early from the mobile by stable junior driver Luke Whittaker before he pounced on the back of Mr Won...

Class clown a winner at Cambridge

BY BARRY LICHTER There’s quite a tale behind how class clown Yogi, aka Del Shannon, found the winner’s circle at Cambridge on Sunday. For a time it looked like Yogi’s playful antics would prevent Pete and Di McDermott and a group of their Cambridge friends from ever seeing him run on the racetrack. You see, Yogi didn’t confine his daytime activities to his own paddock, regularly escaping by getting under hot wires. Once he even took on numerous gates and absconded with his paddock mate T...

Blameitonthenight to the fore at Cambridge

By Joshua Smith, Harness News Desk Regally-bred colt Blameitonthenight kept his undefeated record intact at Cambridge Raceway on Thursday night when taking out the Woodlands Stud Sires’ Stakes Heat 2 Mobile Pace (1700m). The two-year-old colt had won on debut back in May at Alexandra Park and was first-up after a couple of workout placings at Pukekohe, including a third behind race rivals Major Perry and Montana DJ. From his outside draw in the six-horse field, driver Peter Ferguson elected to...

Cambridge Raceway launch trans-Cook travel subsidy

Cambridge Raceway have launched a new travel subsidy in the hopes of bolstering their fields over the summer period. From today Waikato-based trainers can apply for the subsidy which covers the return travel on TFS Horse Transport of up to two horses per trainer from the South Island to the Waikato region to race at Cambridge Raceway from late November to early February. Horses accepted to receive the subsidy by Waikato-BOP Harness Incorporated will also be eligible for a special $1,000 bonus fo...

Classy line-up for Hamilton barn

By Joshua Smith, Harness News Desk Hamilton trainers Graeme Rogerson and Dylan Ferguson will once again have a strong line-up at Cambridge Raceway on Thursday, headed by Classy Operator in the Woodlands Stud Sires Stakes Heat 2 Mobile Pace (1700m). The son of Bettor’s Delight has drawn well in three, inside of his main dangers, the Barry Purdon and Scott Phelan-trained Montana DJ (4) and Major Perry (5). Classy Operator finished second behind Montana DJ in the Gr.1 Young Guns Cardigan Bay Stak...

Cambridge victory for Island-hopping Harrison

By Joshua Smith, Harness News Desk It’s been a busy week for Waikato reinswoman Alicia Harrison and she was rewarded with a win in the feature race at Cambridge Raceway on Thursday night. Harrison had been down in Christchurch for most of the week overseeing her employer Arna Donnelly’s trio of southern raiders – Kango, Taipo, and New York Minute – who are vying for spots in the Gr.1 New Zealand Trotting Cup (3200m) in November. “I went down with them on Saturday and arrived late on Su...

Cambridge treble for Hamilton barn

By Joshua Smith, Harness News Desk Winning trebles at Cambridge Raceway are starting to become a common occurrence for trainers Graeme Rogerson and Dylan Ferguson. The Hamilton horsemen once again recorded a trio of wins at the Waikato track on Thursday night courtesy of I’llavabubbles, She Reigns, and Classy Operator. All three runners were fresh-up and Ferguson said the stable was expecting a good night at the office. “It was a good night and to be honest it was expected. We did have some ...

Australian targets beckon promising trotter

VIDEO REPLAY: High on Love winning at the Cambridge Raceway on September 16....

Gelding continues golden run at Cambridge

By Joshua Smith, Harness News Desk Steven Reid’s former top-class pacer Gold Ace hasn’t made the impact he would have liked at stud, but that could change courtesy of promising three-year-old Dressed In Gold. Bred and raced by Reid, the gelding extended his unbeaten record to two at Cambridge Raceway on Thursday night when winning the Betavet Prepare Mobile Pace (2200m). Dressed in Gold was launched off the gate by driver Peter Ferguson to secure an early lead where he was able to set the pa...

Call Me Trouble returns to The Raceway

By Joshua Smith, Harness News Desk Leading northern reinsman Zachary Butcher is chomping at the bit to get back in the sulky at after more than a month away from the track as a result of Auckland’s COVID-19 enforced lockdown and will get the opportunity at Alexandra Park on Friday night. While he admitted it was nice to watch the first couple of meetings at Cambridge from the comfort of his couch, that experience has soon worn thin. “I cannot wait (to get back driving), it has been pretty bo...