What follows is a breakdown of major statistical records for the 2022 NZ season excluding age group by gait winners and other categories that will be advised following 2022 NZ Harness Racing Awards to be held on Saturday 4 March 2023.
Personnel Stats :
Drivers –
Blair Orange continued on his winning way from the previous four seasons although falling short of a double century haul of victories with a tally of 186, his ninth consecutive year breaking a century of wins. Orange’s UDR rating was a respectable .2505 from 1,244 drives.
His winning margin was clear, ahead of two other centurions, second placed John Dunn whose 109 victories was his fifth century plus total and Tim Wiliams who completed his second century with 100. A tight group of three came next with Robbie Close and leading northern driver Zachary Butcher equal with 78 followed by Matthew Williamson on 77. Leading female reins woman Samantha Ottley (71) just held off Sarah O’Reilly with her best ever total of 70), Southland’s leading reins man Nathan Williamson (65) while John Morrison rounded out the top ten reins persons. Blair Orange was the only driver to record five wins on a single day’s programme at Addington’s 18 February meeting.
David Butcher became the fourth NZ driver after Tony Herlihy, Maurice McKendry and Ricky May to post 2,500 winning drives 9 September 2021 at Cambridge when reining hot favourite Tonites Delight to victory.
Other significant driving achievements during the 2021 transitional season and 2022 included :
- Matthew Williamson joining the one thousand (361 trotters) winning drives club when he reined Ariella part of a three win treble at Oamaru on 8 December 2021. He became the third youngest and twenty sixth NZ driver to achieve this feat. Younger brother Brad brought up four hundred winning drives when reining Majestic Man to victory at Addington on 1 July 2022
- Brent Barclay joined an elite group of Southland drivers to drive eight hundred winners when successful on 2 September 2021 at Ascot Park, Invercargill with Midnitetraintogeorgia
- Craig Thorley brought up his seven hundredth winner at Timaru on Saturday 20 November reining trotter The Dominator to victory
- Gavin Smith completed seven hundred driving wins when successful on Star Magic at Timaru on 1 October 2022
- Tim Williams reached six hundred winning drives on Kerri Maguire at Addington on Friday 17 September 2021 and hen seven hundred wins with Aardiebyhtesea at Addington on 22 September 2022
- Sam Ottley became just the second female driver to reach six hundred driving wins when piloting Webs Reactor to victory at Addington on 17 May 2022
- Kristen Barclay became the fourth female driver in NZ to reach the milestone of three hundred driving wins when Still Rockin won at Gore in mid-February 2022 (Nicky Chilcott, Samantha Ottley, Natalie Rasmussen).
- Two hundred driving wins – Ben Butcher, Kerri Maguire Alexandra Park Thursday 5 August 2021; Jo Herbert, after nearly a decade out of the game, she brought up this milestone at Addington Raceway on Sunday 8 August 2021 on Taumata VC; John Morrison, Tiger Taylor at Addington on 13 August 2021; Sheree Tomlinson. Hazer at Addington on 17 May 2022
On a UDR basis of those with more than ten drives, Paul Nairn with eight wins from 27 drives (.4527) narrowly pipped Mark Purdon with 41 wins from 133 drives (.4520) and Natalie Rasmussen with 24 wins from 85 drives (0.4431) clearly led the field.
In the junior ranks, Sarah O’Reilly was a runaway winner of her first junior’s title with 70 wins placing her eighth in the Drivers premiership. Very respectable performances came from place getters Ben Hope (52), Mark Hurrell (42), Sam Thorney and Carter Dalgety.
The NZ Young Drivers Championship was held at Methven on 28 October and Kaikoura on 30 October 2022 with Sarah O’Reilly again winning (also 2019, 2021) in the forty seventh edition of this series. The first winner was Maurice McKendry in 1976, the first of four wins in a row in the championship with Sarah O’Reilly just one victory behind his record feat now. Sarah O’Reilly had two wins, a second and a no drive in the four race series to easily defend her 2021 title from Sam Thornley and Carter Dalgety next best placed in the Championship. As defending champion, O’Reilly together with runner up Thornley and Crystal Hackett represented NZ in the Australasian Young Drivers Championship in Victoria in early December 2022. Thornley placed second, O’Reilly fifth and Hackett sixth – Tayla French, Victoria won the championship. The Darren de Filippi Memorial Trot (27th anniversary) for Junior Drivers was this year again won by leading junior driver Sarah O’Reilly on The Bloss, one of seventy winning drives for the season.
Cheree Wigg (6) just ousted her sister Sheryl Wigg (5) in this year’s Amateur Drivers Premiership with Frank Phelan (four) again third. The 2022 NZ Amateur Drivers Championship winner was Blair Wilmott (three wins from five drives plus two fifths; one Cambridge, two Addington heats). Sheryl Wigg represented NZ at the 2022 World Amateur Drivers Championships in Italy in September finishing in eleventh place.
Leading Driver : BLAIR ORANGE, 186 wins (1,244 starts), $2,529,627, UDR .2505, 2,497 lifetime NZ wins
Leading Junior Driver : SARAH O’REILLY, 70 wins (622 starts), $722,432, UDR .2106
Leading Amateur Driver : CHEREE WIGG, 6 wins (26 starts), $38,025, UDR .3632
Trainers –
In a closely fought battle that went right down to the wire between Team Telfer (Steve and Amanda Telfer) and the All Stars Stable (Mark Purdon and Hayden Cullen). In the end it was Team Telfer prevailing with 98 victories in just their second season in partnership, three more than last year’s 95 victories. Allstars finished with 94 and reining training premiership holder Robert Dunn third with 85 closely followed by Michael House with 83.
Mark Purdon and Hayden Cullen trained five Group One winners on the inaugural Harness Grand Prix day (eight Group Ones/one Group Three) in early December. Their partnership ceased at the end of the season with Hayden Cullen joining up with the Team Telfer Stonewall Stud operation of Steve and Amanda Telfer.
Leading northern trainers were clearly national premiership winners Steve and Amanda Telfer (98) ahead of Barry Purdon and Scott Phelan (42), Arna Donnelly (38), Michelle Wallis and Bernie Hackett (36). Equal leading Southland trainers were Nathan Williamson and Brett Gray (personal best) with 36 a piece, followed by Kristen Green (28) and Craig Ferguson (21).
The Allstars stable of Mark Purdon and Hayden Cullen produced five winners on Harness Grand Prix day (4 December) at Addington while Michael House achieved this feat twice during the season, both at Manawatu Raceway on 15 March and 17 November.
As one of the country’s busiest trainers Michael House went past the seven hundred training successes mark at Manawatu Raceway on 8 December 2022 when Smokin Annie won for him.
John Hay progressed to six hundred training successes when Wheels Of Fortune won for him on Rangiora Winter Cup, 1 May 2022.
Tony Barron celebrated his five hundredth training success with the Group Three victory of Lifes A Beach in the Northern Breeders Stakes at Alexandra Park on Friday 19 December 2021. Ninety of his wins were in partnership with brother Ken, thirty eight with father Ron and 372 on his own account.
Nicky Chilcott made NZ history becoming the first female trainer to achieve five hundred successes. This was accomplished when Phoebe Majestic strode to victory on Friday 23 September 2022 at Alexandra Park. Chilcott also has the distinction of being New Zealand’s most successful female driver, the first to complete 500 wins and with this latest success now sitting on 669 wins. The first female to do so, she is the fifteenth New Zealander to join the “Double 500” Club.
Steve Telfer brought up five hundred training successes on Show Day when Darling Me won the NZSS Southern Mares Classic – 131 on his own, 179 with daughter Amanda and 190 in partnership with Chris Garlick.
Jim Curtin posted his three hundredth training success at Addington on 17 December 2021 when successful with the Russell Nieper owned Star Casino.
Coaster (John) Howe reached two hundred training wins when Majestic Chick won at Addington on 21 October 2021; Regan Todd achieved the same number when Stac won at Rangiora in 3 April 2022; Tony Stratford made the two hundred mark with Betterthanarocket at Winton on 14 May 2022.
Leading Trainer : STEVE AND AMANDA TELFER, 98 wins (506 starts), $1,594,773, UDR .3300, lifetime NZ wins 193 from 1,224 starts
Record Breaking Stats :
Once again some sensational record breaking time performances were registered overall during the 2022 season especially by the trotters. The seasons NZ records were :
Pacers –
2 Year Olds :
1700m mobile Millwood Nike (fillies) 1:59.1 Ashburton Raceway
1980m mobile Mister Smartee (colts/geldings) 2:19.2 Addington Raceway
1980m mobile Millwood Nike (fillies/equal overall with Amazing Dream’s mares record) 2:20.3 Addington Raceway
2000m stand Izacheapee (fillies) 2:31.1 Addington Raceway
3 Year Olds :
1700m Republican Party (colts/geldings) 1:59.9 Ashburton Raceway
2000m stand Invitation Only (colts/geldings) 2:28.7 Addington Raceway
4 Year Old & Older :
2000m stand Kerri Maguire (mares/overall) 2:27.3 Addington Raceway
2400m mobile Mabalene (mares) 2:55.3 Young Quinn Raceway
2700m mobile Majestic Cruiser (horses&geldings/overall) 3:13.1 Alexandra Park
2700m stand Copy That (horses&geldings/overall) 3:16.0 Cambridge Raceway
Trotters –
2 Year Olds :
1980m mobile Confessional (colts/geldings) T2:25.5 Addington Raceway
1980m mobile High Energy (fillies) T2:26.0 Addington Raceway
2000m stand Walkinonsunshine (fillies) T2:38.0 Addington Raceway
2000m mobile Kiss And Run (fillies/mares overall) T2:28.9 Rangiora Raceway
2400m stand Switch On (colts/geldings) T3:06.6 Young Quinn Raceway
3 Year Olds :
1700m mobile Mystic Max (colts/geldings) T2:03.4 Ashburton Raceway
1980m mobile Highgrove (colts/geldings) T2:25.4 Addington Raceway
2000m stand Ti Amo Belle (fillies) T2:33.5 Addington Raceway
2400m stand Sigrid (fillies) T3:04.0 Ashburton Raceway
2600m stand Paramount Empress (fillies) T3:19.5 Addington Raceway
2600m mobile Nazareth (colts/geldings) T3:13.4 Addington Raceway
2700m mobile Highgrove (colts/geldings) T3:20.7 Alexandra Park
4 Year Old & Older :
1980m mobile Muscle Mountain (horses&geldings/overall) T2:22.9 Addington Raceway
2000m stand Muscle Mountain (horses&geldings/overall) T2:28.3 Addington Raceway
2400 stand Sundees Son (horses&geldings/overall) T2:59.4 South Bay Racecourse
2600m mobile Sundees Son (horses&geldings/overall) T3:10.4 Addington Raceway
2600m stand Muscle Mountain (horses&geldings/overall) T3:12.9 Addington Raceway
2700m mobile Sundees Son (horses&geldings/overall) T3:16.3 Alexandra Park
Leading Sires/Broodmare Sires/Stake Earning Pacer and Trotter :
Bettors Delight was crowned leading sire for the eleventh consecutive season. He again took out all individual pacing siring titles as well as overall leading sire and proving what a dominant broodmare siring force he will be already placing second on latest seasonal list overall (again leading two year old broodmare sire).
For the fifth season running Majestic Son topped both the stakes won and leading trotting stallion for winners produced. Majestic Son led the five year old and older age group categories while in the two year old trotting section Father Patrick topped the list while Love You was the three year old trotting age group stakes and races won winner while Muscle Hill was the four year old trotting age group stakes sire (Love You leader on races won at four).
Christian Cullen and Sundon continued their dominance in the broodmare sire categories together with Bettors Delight and Love You respectively leading two year old broodmare sires.
Leading Sires –
Overall Combined Gaits – Stakes : BETTORS DELIGHT ($6,790,120)
Overall Combined Gaits – Winners : BETTORS DELIGHT (171 winners)
Pacers : Stakes/Winners : BETTORS DELIGHT ($6,670,074, 164 winners)
Trotters : Stakes/Winners : MAJESTIC SON ($1,914,004, 56 winners)
2yo Pacers : Stakes/Winners : BETTORS DELIGHT ($717,795, 20 winners)
2yo Trotters : Stakes/Winners : FATHER PATRICK ($287,436, 3 winners)
3yo Pacers : Stakes/Winners : BETTORS DELIGHT ($2,306,121, 49 winners)
3yo Trotters : Stakes/Winners : LOVE YOU ($680,697; 22 winners)
4yo Pacers : Stakes/Winners : BETTORS DELIGHT ($1,529,446, 58 winners)
4yo Trotters : Stakes/Winners : MUSCLE HILL ($412,302; Love You, 14 winners)
5yo & older Pacers : Stakes/Winners : BETTORS DELIGHT ($2,209,728, 42 winners)
5yo & older Trotters : Stakes/Winners : MAJESTIC SON ($1,505,122, 37 winners)
Leading Broodmare Sires –
Stakes : CHRISTIAN CULLEN ($4,678,278)
Winners : CHRISTIAN CULLEN (140 winners)
All 2yo Stakes/Winners : BETTORS DELIGHT ($1,102,784, 23 winners)
All 3yo Stakes/Winners : CHRISTIAN CULLEN ($1,498,008, Bettors Delight 45 winners)
All 4yo Stakes/Winners : CHRISTIAN CULLEN ($1,020,520, 46 winners)
All 5yo & older Stakes/Winners : CHRISTIAN CULLEN ($1,874,994; Sundon 49 winners)
All Trotters Stakes/Winners : SUNDON ($3,005,909, 97 winners)
Leading Stake Earners –
Pacer : SELF ASSURED ($912,975)
Trotter : SUNDEES SON ($436,831)
Grand Circuit Pacing Champion Australia/NZ for 2022 was King Of Swing (200 points) for a record equalling third occasion (Gammalite, Westburn Grant others) while Trotting Masters Champion Australia/NZ for 2022 was Majestuoso (260 points).
Peter Craig
4 January 2023
Approved By Dean Baring www.harnessbred.com
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