Greg O gets The Box Seat back on TV next Wednesday - but it’s last cab off the rank
By Barry Lichter • 16 September 2020
Harness racing’s weekly television show The Box Seat is set for a surprise return next Wednesday - but you’ll have to stay up late on Wednesday nights to watch it on TV.
The Box Seat was one of the many magazine shows which were axed by the cash strapped Racing Industry Transition Agency earlier in the year.
And with the the newly formed TAB NZ now placing a firm emphasis on live racing and punting, the Box Seat looked certain to fill a permanent back seat.
But co-host Greg O’Connor, who resigned from a new post at Addington Raceway to rekindle the show, has since managed to secure enough funding from inside the industry to produce the show himself.
“It will first screen on Trackside at the close of live racing most Wednesday nights and then be replayed on Thursday,” says O’Connor.
“So that means it could be 9pm or sometimes even later on the Wednesday night.”
O’Connor says that could see many people record the show to watch it when more suitable but it will also be available for viewing on the harness industry’s website www.hrnz.co.nz, probably late Wednesday afternoon.
“With people getting so used to streaming and watching shows online I think that will be a realistic option for plenty of viewers.”
O’Connor believes The Box Seat has a huge role to play in promoting the industry as well as driving turnover on harness racing.
“It is also a great vehicle for telling people’s stories and putting faces to the names in harness racing, whether they be premiership winners or a junior driving getting their first success.
“So I was thrilled so many people inside the industry wanted to support it to get it back, including HRNZ and some of the clubs.
“We have a really strong family of sponsors and we couldn’t have got the show back without them.”
O’Connor said he had worked closely with the broadcasting arm of TAB NZ around the logistics of getting the show made and back on television.
“We really appreciate being able to use the same studios and sets because they have been a big part of the show.”
The Box Seat, with regular co-host Michael Guerin re-joining O’Connor on the show, will be recorded on Wednesdays, as it always was, so markets are available to preview races in the coming weekend.
The series is expected to run for 33 shows and is likely to include the traditionally popular The Box Seat special New Zealand Cup preview show.
O’Connor is also working with racing channels and websites in Australia to screen the show to drive engagement with the New Zealand harness industry.
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Ray’s comments
Friday night at Auckland
Race 1: Angelic Copy
4.53pm
“She’s done everything right and trialled really nicely. I think she’s forward enough to give some cheek. She’s only small. You like to think when you get a good two-year-old like her that they’ll get stronger and transition into a nice three-year-old but she hasn’t grown an inch. But she tries hard and enjoys being out there.”
Race 2: Major Copy
5.28pm
“I’m looking forward to seeing him. You never really know ’til you get to the races but he’s trialled well enough to start and I wouldn’t be surprised if he went a good race, despite the draw. He’s a nice sensible colt who’s done nothing wrong and he could develop into a really nice three-year-old.”
Race 6: Lincoln Wave
7.22pm
“He was starting to get into the habit of switching off so we trained him in blinds this week and he went pretty well. He was good from a standing start at the trials with shorteners in and Maurice was actually quite bullish about his standing start manners and thinks that, in time, he’ll end up being a quick beginner. If he steps well, and can land in the first one or two, he’ll definitely be hard to get round.”
Race 6: Sugar Ray Lincoln
7.22pm
“He’s not spectacular from a stand but he will get away, albeit sometimes a bit slowly. Lincoln Wave has more speed than him but if it comes down to a slugfest he’d be too strong as he’s rock hard fit.”
Race 8: Prince Lincoln
8.23pm
“The blinds go back on this week and if he steps and leads like he did three starts ago that would make him the one to beat. He showed with that win that he’s above average and will be a serious chance.”
Race 8: Rivergirl Bella
8.23pm
“You could argue she’s a Cambridge horse but sometimes when you throw them in with the bear cats they lift their game and I thought she was really good here last week. Tony (Cameron) said she’d have finished a bit closer too if he hadn’t had to take hold of her close to home (when he ran out of room and hit a marker pole).”
Race 8: Sammy Lincoln
8.23pm
“We’ve got blinds on him this week. Harry said he lost concentration a couple of times last week, including at the top of the straight, and thought he’d be a bit more on to it with blinds on. I still thought his was the run of the race last time - none of the others could have done what he did - and I wouldn’t be surprised to see him score.”
