Harness Racing expert & host of Trots Talk Greg O’Connor catches up with Smithy to preview the weekends Harness racing actions across the country, and may even have a couple of tips
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Racing New Zealand
Harness Racing Weekend Preview | Harness Racing Expert & Host of Trots Talk Greg O’Connor on Mornings with Ian Smith (13/9/24)
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Yeah, good morning, Spithy. Yeah, pretty important meetings, both Eddington and Alexandra Park and of course, Alummaroo on Sunday. It is one of the time on a lead-up races to the IOT New Zealand Cup, the Hannon Memorial. So plenty to sink our teeth into. Decent race at Eddington tonight is the Woodland stud, our $50,000 harness. Million race. This is for horses that fathers didn't stand for a stallion fee of higher than $7,000. So it gives an opportunity for some handy horses to slip into this race. And that has been the case here too. Spithy, I think Mickey's carriage is the one that'll be hardest to beat. It's trained by Robert and Jenna Dunn, Johnny doing the steering. What they win, six last week and John drove four of them. So yeah, he's in terrific form driving-wise. So I reckon it'll be a decent chance tonight. Punters should get things off on the right note tonight too, Eddington. With the con artist, he's been well back. He's trained by Mark and Nathan Poudin. They haven't had much of a week, Smithy. They lost Millwood Nike this week. So come on that same injury. Yeah, that she got in November, unfortunately. So yeah, we won't see the unbeaten mirror again. She won 17 races from 17. And yeah, she did some things on the racetrack that you shouldn't be able to do, particularly who went on Cup Day last year and the Nibali R final. So hopefully they'll get some recompense rather with the con artist. And the first tonight, Alexandra Park, that's some good races there too. Really looking forward to seeing a horse called Marco, trained by Anna Donnelly. It could be a potential front runner for a race like the slot races that are on on on Show Day, the three-year-old half-million dollar race, the velocity. So I'm looking forward to seeing what it can do tonight, Smithy. Race five, number two. Now, you better let me in here. You like a couple. I like Mr. Kaplan, you're a good buddy in the Solke. I like Mr. Kaplan, race eight at Eddington. And Pantani looking at Ford and Rowan, the trot at Alexandra Park. Yeah, Mr. Kaplan, brilliant performance from her. Don't be confused by her name. Very, very talented. Good enough to run a placing in the group one earlier in the year at Eddington. The breeders, they'll have a lot of speeds, but these won't be too worried about barrier nine. I wouldn't expect her to launch off the gate, but if she's close enough to them, like she was last time, it really was a brilliant performance from her. So I can coo there talking about the slot races, the ascent. That is one that Pantani could be heading to. Now, trained by David Butcher, this horse's owned part owned by Ross Painter, who's now shifted overseas, but three on the bounce. Year 30 metres won't be easy. It's part of the new micro series finals that contain have been so heavily in behind and the TAB. So I reckon you might be onto something there. But I think at last, look, Pantani was about $3. Yeah, I thought it was quite loose in the market, actually, for that form line. But, as you say, interesting, really interesting in seeing the progress there. As you talked about, time on an event, it is the Hannon Memorial on Sunday. And your good buddy's got a pretty good hand in this, too, for the Dalgetis. And that is the Republican Party. Yeah, he's cleared top pick for mine. So the finished second in the race last year. And I just spoke to Matthew Williamson, who's based at the track at Omeru. And he said, unfortunately, the weather is likely to be the same as last year. He's expressed beat the Republican Party in this race. And it was a very wet track. So you might want to bear that in mind. I thought they put up a terrific price. So the $2.50, he has been on at the trials. I spoke to him after both trials. He said he's really grown up this horse. He really is a front runner for at least the start. And the Cup, he finished soon in the Auckland Cup. So that's got to well up the rankings anyway. But he's cleared top pick for mine. I think there's nine off the front there. So he drew white off the front row, which is ideal for mine. So yeah, I reckon Republican Party will win that. They've got a brilliant race, the Meers race, the Trotting race. Jasmine's gift, it's called, named after a group one winning Trotter that Phil Williamson trained down there. He's got a couple of chances in it. Aruha Keney's one of those, probably the best chance. But I reckon Eurostyle can win it. She's a talented Meer this. She's got a big motor, $4.60. That'll do me. She has to come off the 20 metres. But she's not alone there. She's got one of the previous winners of this race. And I dream of Jeannie alongside her. So hopefully she can get into the race of Eurostyle. I reckon she'll take some beating of the Jasmine's gift. And the good news for us is that we can get the latest updates and possibilities on Trotts Talk on Sunday morning before Amaru really kicks into gear. Yep, 11-12. We'll have a couple of the key players there. Maddy Williamson, that was the reason I talked to him. So if you'll be one of them, then all that. Give us his thoughts around his chances. We'll wrap up all the racing from Friday night as well. Have a chat about those rankings, because they're out. You can go to HRNZ.co.nz and check out the rankings for both the Cup and the Dominion. There's always a talking point. The first set, they come out, Maddy. They all want to be in the top 15. And if they're not in it, they've got to get past some of them that are ahead of them. So, yeah, plenty of interest in that. We'll have a good chat on Sunday morning. Look forward to that, Greg. Thanks for your time. All of this with tonight and Sunday. Thank you. Yep. No problem at all, Maddy.