Miki B heading to Addington on Friday after Nursery Stakes win

Friday Night Lights promises to be next level this week.

The double-header will see Addington Raceway headline the night's action with six Group 1s, while at Auckland there'll be two Northern Metro Finals and two Country Cups.

At Addington, Aces and Oaks Race Night will start at 5pm. There'll be the Group 1 $100,000 Aces of Hearts, Clubs, Diamonds and Spades for the two-year-old trotters and pacers, of both genders, as well as the $140,000 What The Hill New Zealand Trotting Oaks and the $225,000 Tennant Engineering New Zealand Pacing Oaks. The $60,000 Group 2 Continental Event Hire Grand Duchess Mares Handicap Trot will also be held.

At Auckland the $35,000 Northern Metro Series Finals for the Trotters and Pacers will be held, as will be the $20,000 Franklin Trotters and Pacers Country Cups.

Before then Invercargill will hold a meeting on Wednesday, with Motukarara (Saturday)  and Methven (Sunday)  both holding grass track meetings over the weekend.

Miki B too slick in Nursery Stakes at Timaru 

By Mike Love 

Miki B gave Woodend Beach trainers Craig and Aimee Edmonds their eighth win of the season by winning the Brosnan Transport LTD Timaru Nursery Stakes on Saturday. 

Co-trainer Craig Edmonds was pleased but not surprised by the win. 

“He is pretty laid back. John (Dunn) said he kicked passed them pretty good though which is great,” said Edmonds. 

The two-year-old Always B Miki gelding settled toward the rear of the five-horse field with driver John Dunn. They were able to track into the race nicely from the 800m before a dazzling final 800m of 56.5 (off the front) to win by three quarters of a length from pacemaker Chaldon. 

“He had been a little bit green in his earlier starts so to win like he did was pleasing. He probably came home in 55 seconds from where he was.” 

The win was part of Dunn’s very good day of driving picking up four winners on the programme including Szybka Lane, Ready Set Jet and Bounce N Beyond. 

Miki B’s next engagement is likely to be at Addington on Friday night in the Group 1 $100,000 Ace Of Spades.  

“He was possibly sold but in the meantime we will go Friday night then have a wee bit of a break.”

Edmonds will also line up Four Wise Women in the What The Hill New Zealand Trotting Oaks at Group 1 level for a purse of $140,000 on the same night.

“There’s something a bit niggly going on with her. She’s working good but hasn’t been able to kick on in her races. But on her day she’s a top four chance.” 

Craig and Aimee Edmonds have now won 69 races in partnership with stakes just short of $1 million.