Addington will race twice a week on Fridays and Sundays under the draft calendar released for the rest of the season.
Addington harness big winner in post lockdown dates, securing Fridays and Sundays
By Barry Lichter • 21 April 2020
Addington has been the big winner in harness racing, securing the lucrative Friday spots for its meetings until the end of the season.
The draft calendar released for consultation by the Racing Industry Transition Agency today has Addington securing four Friday day meetings in June.
In July it keeps all the Friday meetings for night cards, starting at 5.30pm.
Addington will race twice a week, also getting seven Sunday slots through June and July.
Auckland and Cambridge will alternate on Thursday nights through June and then their meetings move to Wednesday night slots in July. The Thursday harness spot is taken over by Invercargill day meetings which move from Saturdays when gallops meetings resume.
Thoroughbred racing starts in the north on July 3, with racing alternating on Saturdays between Te Rapa and Pukekohe in the north, and Awapuni and Riccarton.
Friday meetings will be held at Riccarton, Wanganui, Southland and Awapuni through July.
Dates for gallops and harness meetings are:
May
June
July
More news in Harness
Debbie lands Golden draw at last in her bid to give Sampson a haircut at the Park
Spiritual Bliss and Lincoln Maree add to Lincoln Farms’ gallery of Manawatu heroes
Video clue on why Lincoln Lover is tipped to go boldly fresh-up at Auckland on Friday night
A picture of Bliss but poor Harry’s arms were nearly pulled out of their sockets
Our runners this week: How our trainers rate them
Ray’s comments
Thursday night at Cambridge
Race 3: Lincoln Downs
6.22pm
“She got home really well on the second night at Manawatu and gets a good draw here. There’s not much exposed form in the race so it’s hard to know how she compares but she’ll win one.”
Ray’s comments
Friday night at Auckland
Race 3: Debbie Lincoln
7.01pm
“I thought she went super again last week with no luck and we’ve got a decent draw for a change so you have to like her chances. She’s been getting in on the corners, so we’ve added a Murphy blind.”
Race 3: Tyson
7.01pm
“I was impressed by the way he hung on to Captain Sampson and Greased Lightnin last week. They’re strong sprinters and it was only a sprint up the straight. He’ll need things to go his way from six.”
Race 3: Sugar Ray Lincoln
7.01pm
“It was his first run for a while last week and he probably needed another trial. But we thought we might as well race him to set him up for this week. The outside draw of eight doesn’t help.”
Race 9: Lincoln Lover
9.55pm
“He’s not as sharp as our other two but he’s a game little bugger. He’ll win races for sure.”
Race 9: Prince Lincoln
9.55pm
“I thought he went really well last week. He’d had only one trial and was a bit fresh so it was understandable that he got tired the last bit. That will tighten him up and I’m expecting him to race well. He’s trained on well since.”
Race 9: Johnny Lincoln
9.55pm
“Prince has the wood on Johnny but he’ll still go well. He found the line well last week. It was his first run for a while too, and his first as a gelding.”
