NZ HARNESS NEWS
Speeding Spur to trial Saturday
Star square-gaiter Speeding Spur will return to action at the Franklin Park workouts in Pukekohe on Saturday.
The multiple Group 1 winner, arguably one of the two best trotters in the country on ability, has raced just three times in the last 10 months, owing to two leg injuries.
Trainers John and Joshua Dickie are not getting ahead of themselves but do expect to give the son of Pegasus Spur three trials before resuming in the Group 1 Lyell Creek Stakes at Alexandra Park on New Year’s Eve, if all goes to plan.
No doctor for Auckland Cup
Open class pacer No Doctor Needed will miss the Auckland Cup in favour of another stint in Sydney.
The rangy Steve Telfer-trained pacer has just returned from Cup week in Addington, where he was very unlucky down the straight in the $800,000 two-mile feature.
Rather than take on Dream About Me and Heaven Rocks in their local Cup on New Year’s Eve, connections have opted instead to send him back to Sydney trainer Paul Fitzpatrick.
He spent three months with Fitzpatrick at the start of this year before returning home to Telfer.
Late change to Invited Drivers line-up
Canterbury reinsman Tim Williams has been drafted into the North Of The Waitaki team for the Sweet Lou Drivers Challenge at Ascot Park Raceway in Invercargill on Friday.
Williams steps in for John Dunn, who has a clashing commitment and will join Dexter Dunn, Blair Orange, Ricky May, Samantha Ottley and Gavin Smith in the team.
They face a South Of The Waitaki combination spearheaded by the Williamson brothers – Nathan, Matthew and Brad plus Rory McIlwrick, the 2017 New Zealand Junior Drivers Champion, Brent Barclay and Sheree Tomlinson, fresh from her great win in the Dominion Handicap last week.
Approved By Dean Baring www.harnessbred.com
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