News

Mark Nickel doesn’t just love racing, he’s lived it in many ways for most of his life. The Wellington based breeder had always had an affinity for the racing game, following racing, attending race meetings around the Wellington area, back when Hutt Park was still going. “I was born and bred in Kilbirnie, now we live in Lower Hutt.” “I’ve travelled around a bit working over the years, but Wellington certainly has always been home,” Mark explained. Mark and wife Jill “I had fol

We are extremely proud of the job Lazarus continues to do with his progeny, not only in New Zealand, but in Australia and the United States as well. Ahead of the breeding season we have collated some of his stand out performers in New Zealand, and will also highlight his best performers across the ditch and stateside. The Lazarus Effect has certainly taken the step up to Cup class in his stride, running away with a bold win in the Group One Taylor Mile, whilst also winni

Carlton mare Carla Pixie extended her career record to six wins when successful at Globe Derby on Saturday night. The four-year-old mare was having her second start back after a spell and racing in the Breeders Crown series in December, and was sent out a hot $1.85 favourite. Driven by Wayne Hill for trainer and part owner Brent Lilley, Carla Pixie was not to have it all her own way however. Forced to sit parked for the majority of the 1800m race, she soon showed her dominanc

Lazarus gelding Happy Too Ya has been on a winning roll, and it looks like that may continue. The four-year-old was rated perfectly on Thursday night at Penrith by trainer/driver Seaton Grima over the 1720m mobile, finding the lead early and dictating terms. Happy Too Ya had his rivals off the bit by the home turn, with his main danger, The Sid, right on his back. However Grima was able to hold Happy Too Ya back to the field, before allowing the favourite to hit his stride in

Six-year-old Lazarus stallion, Voukefalas, made a welcome return to the winner’s circle when collecting his first win for 2026 at Pocono Downs on Sunday NZ Time. A former Sire Stakes winner, Voukefalas has competed at the highest level during his career, now winning 12 races and earning $USD 1,131,976 in stakes. On Sunday he was forced to do things the hard way at Pocono, forcing his way to the lead at the half mile point in slushy conditions and taking pressure up until the

Meadowlands Racetrack is ramping up for its first feature meet of spring this Sunday morning New Zealand time, as it prepares for finals of the New Jersey Sire Stakes Series. This year the New Jersey Sire Stakes Board split the series into two levels, Platinum and Silver, offering two tier opportunities. Lazarus is well represented in the series, with finalists in the Silver divisions and Ooglesarus competing in the $225,000 Platinum Sire Stakes Final for Three-Year-Old Pacin

On A Streak has continued to deliver as a sire, with his debut winner Bumper Crop delivering again in Australia on Tuesday night. On A Streak The two-year-old filly gave On A Streak his first win when successful against older more seasoned opposition at Terang last week and this week was competing in a two-year-old fillies heat of the Nutrien Classic Series. After leaving the gate driver Glen Craven allowed Bumper Crop to find her stride and settled three back in the running

Lex Williams has had one of the most amazing journeys as a harness racing owner and breeder. He and his late wife Heather formed One Over Lodge, following the huge success of their champion trotter One Over Kenny, who took them to Group One glory on both sides of the Tasman. The legendary trotting mare won 32 races and over one million dollars in prize money, racing and winning from age two to nine-years-old. She won 17 Group and Listed races, including two Rowe Cups, and was

Lazarus continues to deliver with his racing progeny in North America. Over the past week he has sired 13 winners across the United States, and remarkably produced eight winners on Sunday alone (New Zealand time). Three-year-old filly Whoa Black Betty was an impressive winner for Lazarus at The Meadowlands. She was entered in the second round of heats for the New Jersey Sires Stakes Silver series, and sent out a short priced favourite for driver Yannick Gingras. In wet spring

In a change to the traditional National Weanling Sale format, this year 45 weanlings will be offered for auction online. Hosted on the Gavelhouse Standardbred Auction platform, buyers must register online to bid and offers a unique auction experience through an online format. The catalogue is out now, and bidding will commence this Wednesday 13 May from 10am and close from 6pm. There will be three lots on offer by Wai Eyre Farm stallions, and we wish vendors, breeders and buy

It's been a huge week for On A Streak as he hits milestones on both sides of the Tasman. After siring his first winner in Australia at Terang on Tuesday night in two-year-old filly Bumper Crop, on Thursday he produced his first New Zealand qualifier at the Rangiora trials meeting. Two-year-old filly La Venture put forward a professional effort to lead throughout the 2000m mobile two-year-old heat. Driven by Blair Orange for trainer Michael Purdon, La Venture maintained

For Blenheim couple Petrina and Allan Shutkowski harness racing isn’t just part of their life, it is their life. And for Petrina in particular, she pretty much didn’t have a say in the matter but it didn’t take long to win her over. “Allan was the one who had the interest, he had two uncles that were involved in the harness racing industry,” Petrina explained. “He hadn’t really been fully involved himself until in the 80’s he decided to get into a syndicate that he saw advert

Juvenile champion trotter, On A Streak, showed his influence on early speed when he sired his first winner at Terang on Tuesday night. On A Streak A Breeders Crown Champion and O'Brien Two-Year-Old of the Year in his career in North America, On A Streak produced Bumper Crop to win at her first start in impressive fashion in Australia. The two-year-old filly is trained by Antti Ruokonen and was sent out as $2.20 favourite. She was allowed to settle in the one-one over th

He's the spitting image of his father, and brilliant five-year-old pacer, The Lazarus Effect, was rewarded at the highest racing level on Friday night at Alexandra Park. The son of Lazarus was arrogant in winning the Group One Taylor Mile, and in doing so recorded the geldings first success at that level. Trained and driven by Woodend trainer, Bob Butt, the duo put the hammer down with 500m to go over the mile, leaving a high quality field of Cup class horses in their wa

They may be one of the newest standardbred breeders on the scene in New Zealand, but Jason and Andrea Bridgford are no strangers when it comes to producing elite sport horses. Based in Awanui, just seven kilometres north of Kaitaia, Andrea has had a longstanding passion for horses and is renowned for producing some of the best sport ponies and still stand their own stallion, BE Supreme (Ares) who is based in Canterbury. Bridgford sport ponies have excelled in jumping in New Z

Lazarus three-year-old Ooglesaurus has been a real project for trainer Joe Bongiorno over the past 12 months, and that hard work could possibly pay off this weekend. Ooglesaurus has come through two $17,500 heats of the Bobby Weiss series at Pocono Downs unbeaten, showing huge heart and a great turn of speed. In his most recent heat he burned the gate early to lead showing a good turn of foot, before handing up to the favourite, Stingman. Not content on a mere placing, Oogles

Keith Ussher and Sylvia White have experienced harness racing in many forms over the past thirty years together, from Group One wins, to amateur driving. There isn’t much that they haven’t gone through together. The North Canterbury couple are the proud breeders and owners of 2023 Rowe Cup winner, Love N The Port, and their journey into the breeding fold all started when Sylvia and Keith met. “I had always followed the racing, attending race meetings with friends and enjoying

Wai Eyre Farm is proud to partner with Rangiora Harness Racing Club to sponsor this year's Anne Thompson Memorial Series. The series for maiden trotters and pacers starts with $12,500 heats on April 26, then again on May 3, and then two $20,000 finals on Sunday May 17. The series has been running since 2022, and following the passing of Anne Thompson was named in her memory. Anne was a key part of the winner's bar team at the Rangiora Racecourse, and would often be

Friendships can lead you in many directions in life, and for John Fanning his friendship with Bruce Small has taken him on a journey to remember. John and Bruce met at University in Dunedin whilst studying medicine and soon became friends. “Bruce and I were in the same class and then got to know each other over time,” John explained. “We both followed racing and when Bruce decided to buy a broodmare, he just said that I had to come in with him.” John Fanning Remarkably,

Jenny Becker’s passion for harness racing has been a lifetime in the making. Founder of Tehoro Trotters, based on the Kapiti Coast, Jenny utilises her own land at home and the services of Wai Eyre Farm in Canterbury to achieve her breeding goals. Associated with the Tehoro prefix, such as Tehoro Diva, Tehoro Flirt and Tehoro Dazzle, Jenny’s passion for the sport and her horses is undeniable. But her breeding journey actually started in a unique way, with Jenny and her husband