NZ HARNESS NEWS
New Zealand’s Australasian Breeders Crown squad is looking strong with at least seven horses slated to make the trip across the ditch.
After his impressive resuming win at Addington last Friday night, three-year-old pacer Think About Me is now targeting the rich day.
If he wins his qualifying heat at Addington next Friday night, he could on the plane with four stablemates.
“He’s not confirmed as yet; he will contest the heat next week and a final decision will be made after that,” said co-trainer Mark Purdon.
His four stablemates in Purdon and Natalie Rasmussen’s stable that are also targeting the Breeders Crown are Enhance Your Calm, Princess Tiffany, Shez All Rock and Another Masterpiece.
Enhance Your Calm contests a two-horse heat at Addington on Thursday night and the others are due to do the same in coming weeks.
Kayla Marie was also penciled in for the two-year-old pacing fillies division with Princess Tiffany, but suffered a setback and was sent for a spell instead.
Auckland trainer Tony Herlihy has confirmed his intentions to take juvenile trotting filly Tickle Me Pink across to Victoria for both the Redwood Classic and ‘the Crown’.
She was initially headed for a spell after the Harness Jewels on June 2, but that turned in to a ‘freshen-up’ and she is now back in work.
Show Gait will give North Canterbury beach trainer Regan Todd a first Australian runner when tackles the 3YO trotting fillies’ division after winning her heat at Addington last Friday night.
She’ll have a pretty easy July, ticking over ahead of the final on August 25.
“We won’t need to push her too much, as every time we seem to back off her a little bit she comes back that little bit better again,” said Todd.
“Even between when she won the Sales race and now, she’s improved again I think.
“So, she’s getting a pretty easy time of it at the moment while we sort out exactly what we are doing.”
Trotting three-year-old Stress Factor, a Cambridge heat walkover winner on Sunday, has already left the country and will contest the Victoria Derby on August 5 before ‘the Crown’.
He was originally with Purdon and Rasmussen but temporarily joined Michelle Wallis and Bernie Hackett in Waiuku after the Harness Jewels.
He will link up with his new trainer, former Kiwi Brent Lilley, in Victoria after a recent change in ownership.
- NZ Harness News
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