Night of Champions. Photo: Angelique Bridson
Waikato interest in the biggest event of Cambridge Raceway’s calendar tomorrow has been boosted following a late withdrawal.
Kango, trained at Cambridge Raceway by Arna Donnelly, is a late starter in the feature race following the withdrawal of Rock N Roll Doo last weekend.
Kango with David Butcher in the sulkie.
The raceway’s Night of Champions has drawn the best harness racing talent in Australasia to compete in the $1 million The Race by Grins and the inaugural $600,000 TAB Trot slot races.
Dave Branch
It’s the third year for the event and raceway chief Dave Branch promises it will be the best one yet.
“The quality of horses this year is unmatched, and the new TAB Trot race has just added more excitement,” he said.
“We have six horses coming over from Australia to compete so it’s truly an international event now.”
Multiple Group One winner Better Eclipse and Speak The Truth represent Australia in The Race by Grins taking on top tier Kiwis Don’t Stop Dreaming and Merlin among others.
The Aussie quartet of champion Just Believe, Queen Elida, Callmethebreeze and Arcee Phoenix take on New Zealand’s best trotters in the TAB Trot, which is being billed as one of the greatest trotting races ever staged in Australasia.
Rock N Roll Doo, who is in the country for a series of races, was pulled after being diagnosed with a hoof abscess.
Seven year old Kango is listed on the racingsandsports website as having a career record of 14 wins and 16 placings from 61 starts.
He won The Founders Cup at Alexandra Park in early March driven by David Butcher
The News earlier reported that 4000 people were at the raceway to see six-year-old champion pacer Copy That take out the $1 million feature last year – and record a 2200m track record of 2m 36.3 secs.
A temporary liquor ban will be in place on the grassed paddock to the east of Cambridge Raceway and a part of Taylor Street will be off limits to alcohol from 4pm to 11pm in an effort to avoid problems with people “preloading”.
See: Booze ban on champs’ night
Coterie will perform on the night.
Night of Champions takes place at Cambridge Raceway this Friday, Angelique Bridson
.
