NZ HARNESS NEWS
Canadian driver James MacDonald notched a winning double and two placings to take the lead in the World Drivers Championship at Georgian Downs, Ontario, yesterday (Wednesday), in the third leg of the five-leg harness racing series.
MacDonald, a late replacement for Brandon Campbell after he was ruled out when one of the horses he trains returned a positive drug test last month, now leads with 144 points from Mika Forss, of Finland, who has 130.
Forss, bidding for Finland’s first world title in 27 events, could have been even closer, but for a relegation from first to second in the second heat, after front-runner A Boy Named Suuzz hit a pylon on the second turn, allowing USA’s Marcus Miller to grab the win with Jansen
Hanover ($29) and maintain third place overall with 123.5 points.
Australia’s Shane Graham moved into fourth after winning the fifth race, with New Zealand’s defending champion Dexter Dunn (93) now fifth after a quiet night with no top-three placings.
Fellow Kiwi Mark Purdon (69) has slipped to 10th of 11 after another frustrating night.
James And Morgan ($42.60) gave Norway’s Eirik Hoitomt his first win of the championship in the fourth race, trailing MacDonald and pacesetter Art Of The Deal, before outfinishing that pair on the pegs in 1:57.
The next leg is in Trois-Rivieres, Quebec, on Thursday (NZ time) at the Hippodrome 3R, where two of Dunn’s drives are heavily tipped by local writers.
The drivers will then head to Prince Edward Island’s Red Shores for the fifth and final leg on Saturday.
POINTS
James MacDonald (Canada) 144
Mika Forss (Finland) 130
Marcus Miller (United States) 123.5
Shane Graham (Australia) 97
Dexter Dunn (New Zealand) 93
Noel Baldacchino (Malta) 90
Eirik Hoitomt (Norway) 89.5
Bjorn Goop (Sweden) 86
Gerhard Mayr (Austria) 83
Mark Purdon (NZ) 69
Rik Depuydt (Belgium) 68
Caption: James MacDonald guides Walk The Plank to victory during the third leg of the 2017 World Driving Championship on Tuesday (August 15) at Georgian Downs. The win was MacDonald’s second of the night. (Dave Landry)
Approved By Dean Baring www.harnessbred.com
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