Harness racing's grand old man Charles Roberts doesn't get on planes often these days - he picked the right day to make an exception on Saturday.

High Forty completed a winter of content for trainers Brian and Shane Anderton when he crowned a wonderful jumping season with a runaway Grand National Steeplechase victory at Riccarton.

Our Gazza took full advantage of an easing of the Riccarton track to provide one of his part-owners with a timely victory.

Turn Me Loose will be running after all in the $200,000 Makfi Challenge at Hastings on August 29.

Horses with two duck eggs in their past two starts don't usually stand out as Pick6 anchors but The Faithful is an exception to that rule at Cambridge tonight.

A US$1 million shot at the world's best trotters looks increasingly unlikely for New Zealand hero Stent this year.

Five Victorian trainers at the centre of cobalt charges have avoided a suspension of their licences but they will face a spring carnival prize money freeze.

Close your eyes when you talk to Jacob Lowry and you would swear you are in the company of a 27-year-old.

Record-breaking trainer Murray Baker will barely have time to unpack his holiday bags from Canada and Alaska before he tackles the problem of getting Turn Me Loose a start in the $200,000 Makfi Challenge Stakes at Hastings on August 29.

Marotiri Miss is a chance in the $100,000 Winter Cup at Riccarton today.

While a host of Grand National Hurdles prospects will be put through their final paces at Riccarton tomorrow, Stephen Ralph has opted to stay closer to home with Thenamesbond.

Wingatui horseman Brian Anderton says High Forty needs to step up if he's to keep his impressive record intact in tomorrow's $30,000 NZI Koral Steeplechase at Riccarton.

Three high-profile trainers face financial ruin if they are to be stood down before their cobalt charges are heard by the Racing Appeals and Disciplinary (RAD) Board.

The queen of pacing is going to have to wait a bit longer to find out who her first boyfriend is going to be.

Alexandra Park officials are moving to secure more horses as their baffling battle against lower stakes offered by other tracks continues.

The best race we have seen in years is being run on Saturday and you can't get a bet on it.

Champion reinsman Dexter Dunn says walking away from the chance to break the national record for wins is easier for him that it would be for another driver.

Mike Dillion asks, what's the most annoying element of thoroughbred racing? Well, there's decent competition for that, but close to the top of the list is thinking you have won a race, only to find out you haven't.

Jumps jockey Tom Ryan has had a win in front of an appeals board and now hopes to translate that into feature race success on Grand National Steeplechase day at Ballarat.

If New Zealand's SPCA follows the lead of Australia's RSPCA, racing connections of horses found to have cobalt in their systems could face conviction through the courts.

The Donna Logan stable has dominated the last three local Ruakaka meetings and it's no surprise the best bet today comes from her barn.

The addition of blinkers may see Stradivarius play a different tune in tomorrow's $50,000 Courtesy Ford Ryder Stakes at Levin.

Champion filly The Orange Agent may face only one rival at Cambridge tonight but her trainer Brian Hughes realises the importance of a win.

Vet Tom Brennan has made a number of admissions to stewards in NSW and Victoria in the latest twist to racing's cobalt saga.

Mark Purdon may have created a unique piece of harness racing history in Sydney yesterday.

Michael Walker will make a low-key return to race riding with one mount at Pakenham today, after a month on the sidelines because of injury.

Champion 3-year-old trotter Speeding Spur has become a victim of his own success, which will force him to race as an open class horse at Alexandra Park on Friday.

Only 109 wins to go - that's the challenge for Candice Orange, who trained her first winner at Oamaru yesterday.

James McDonald leads Blake Shinn by a single win in the Sydney jockeys' premiership after Saturday's racing, but bookmakers are punting heavily on the New Zealander taking the title.