Don’t be fooled by the small margin Merlin scaped home by in Friday night’s $135,000 Woodlands Derby.

New Zealand’s unluckiest barrier draw horse had to secure a good gate one day and Merlin has found the perfect race to finally get some luck.

On a milestone night Mark Purdon’s star three-year-olds couldn’t have looked more ready for their Oaks and Derby assignments than they did at Alexandra Park on Friday.

One of New Zealand’s training greats thinks his star three-year-olds could play catch-up in the features at Alexandra Park tonight and it could be his brother who inadvertently benefits.

Don’t be surprised if Mark Purdon wins both features but to see brother Barry's two pacers running on strongly in them.

New Zealand’s richest harness race will have some local flavour after the rapid rise of Cambridge pacer Nicholas Cage went to a whole new level on Monday.

The four-year-old has earned a slot in the $1 million Race by Grins at Cambridge on April 14 courtesy of his all-the-way win at Alexandra Park on Friday in which he upset multiple group 1 winners Akuta and Copy That.

Two of the returning stars of New Zealand pacing are going to need new drivers when they start their road to The Race by Grins at Alexandra Park on Friday night.

What happened at Addington on November 11, 2022 is exactly how a great horse should end his career.

That great horse, a champion, was Sundees Son. And the $300,000 Renwick Farms Dominion was the race he never should have won.

If you were there or have seen it, you will never forget it.

New Zealand harness racing’s Group 1 drought in Sydney has moved a little closer to ending after Alta Meteor drew perfectly for the $200,000 NSW Derby at Menangle on Saturday.

The South Auckland pacer won his heat of the Derby at Menangle last Saturday and will start from barrier two in a very open classic over the punishing 2400m on the giant track outside Sydney.

The first day of yearling sales week defied the challenges facing the harness racing industry when some big numbers were put up at Karaka on Sunday.

Training legend Barry Purdon was both proud and thrilled after the $200,000 Harness Million at Cambridge on Friday night.

Steve Telfer realises he may not claim tonight’s $200,000 Harness Million with Alta Meteor, but there is nothing surer than he is going to win his share of battles this weekend.

The Harness Million meeting at Cambridge on Friday night will be followed by the NZB Standardbred yearling sale at Karaka on Sunday - and both are good to go.

Champion harness trainer Mark Purdon has revealed the extent of his thoroughbred training ambitions as his All Stars stable gets ready for its next evolution.

Krug will need to win a less-than-ideal mile race at Addington tonight if he is to get his shot at the biggest mile race of them all in three week's time.

The biggest decision of Kyle Marshall’s career has been followed by a very mature decision about his best horse.

And it paid instant dividends in a high-class three-year-old race at Cambridge on Thursday night.

If New Zealand’s only $1million harness race is anywhere as frenetic as the build-up it should be worth the wait.

The Race by Grins will have its second running at Cambridge on April 14, with the prizemoney for the slot race rising by $100,000 after starting at $900,000 last season.

There are few things more dangerous for punters than lead-up races to Group 1s, but trainer Bob Butt can allay those fears around his two winning chances in the $50,000 Garrard Mares’ Champs at Addington tonight.

New Zealand pacing star Copy That’s Victorian campaign is already enormously more successful than his past attempts and that could create pressure for him to extend his stay in Australia to include a Miracle Mile.

The South Auckland pacer was an easy all-the-way winner of the $150,000 PETstock Ballarat Pacing Cup on Saturday night in the hands of Blair Orange and is now the warm favourite for the $500,000 Del-Re National A. G. Hunter Cup at Melton on Saturday week.