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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

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

Our runners this week: How our trainers rate them

Ray Green

Ray’s comments

Tuesday at Addington

Race 9: Debbie Lincoln
4.03pm

“She’s drawn out but I think she’s got the gate speed to be put into the race. You’ve got to be handy to beat the good ones and we don’t want to be stuck behind some of the others. The one drawn two inside us, Arafura, looks the one to beat but Debbie is as good as anything in the race in my opinion. It’s not going to be easy but I’m hopeful. She’s done well down here and is in good shape.”

Ray Green

Ray’s comments

Friday night at Cambridge

Race 5: Im Not The Maid
6.17pm

“The draw helps and while she’s very honest she still needs to improve. Gary Hall said she was a bit stop-start last time but he cut corners and wasn’t too far away at the finish. He reckoned his toe rope broke at the top of the straight.”

Race 8: Lincoln Maree
7.49pm

“She showed no speed when resuming and it’s hard to see her playing a part in this.”

Race 8: Lincoln Downs
7.49pm

“She went the best of them last time, was hampered turning or home, and could improve.”

Race 8: Jessie Lincoln
7.49pm

“She’s a big filly but so far, so good. There are a few negatives, like the second row draw and it being her first time under lights, but I think she could go quite well. It’s not a wonderful lot against her and she’s training well.”

Race 8: Lincoln’s Spice
7.49pm

“She over-raced early first-up and burned herself out. She’s a delicate little thing but we’ll put some plugs in her this week. Last time in I thought she could be the best of them. Whether the others have caught her up or she’s gone backwards I don’t know.”

Dan Costello Race Photography