Fast10 - harness racing’s answer to T20 cricket - will lauch at Addington in December
By Barry Lichter • 8 October 2019
Racing’s equivalent of T20 cricket is set to debut on Friday, December 20.
FAST 10 Horse Racing will see 10 races each of 10 horses staged in just over two and a half hours.
In what is promoted by developers Tony Russell and Glenn Hames as a world first, Quick Horse Racing Ltd will stage its first event at Addington, starting just before mid-day.
Russell and Hames, both racehorse owners, have been working on the concept for more than two years, and say the event is the next level of racing - faster than ever before, racing in half the time but doubling the fun.
Passionate about the racing industry, the pair say they want to “reignite passion and interest in the industry while creating a fun and exciting event to appeal to new customers.”
“We have seen how T20 has changed cricket and we believe that Fast10 can provide that same effect to racing in New Zealand”.
A colourful array of entertainment, yet to be revealed, will feature on the day.
Harness Racing New Zealand’s Communication and Ownership Co-Ordinator Jess Smith says more information will be available soon for licence holders, who may question the logistics of running races so close together.
Hames says the races, all sprints from the mobile gate, will start at 11.52am and be run at 18 to 20 minute intervals, ending at 2.34pm when entertainment will kick in, hopefully to be a big pre-Christmas crowd .
Work is underway to get the entire event streamed live.
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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.”
