The Kiwi Syndicate's quest for THE ASCENT

THE ASCENT and THE VELOCITY are the brand new $500,000 slot races that will be a big part of the Show Day Twilight race meeting at Addington Raceway on Friday, November 15. The $30,000 slots for the two races for the three-year-old trotters and pacers were snapped up in quick time - so who are the people behind the names? Over the next few weeks we will profile many of the slot holders.

Today it's The Kiwi Syndicate

By Dave Di Somma, Harness News Desk

On the face of it the "Kiwi syndicate" could be just about anyone or anything.

But there is logic behind the name.

Headed by well known industry figure John Coulam, the Kiwi Syndicate was formed with only one horse in mind, Paramount Kiwi.

"The horse's ownership group and the syndicate are one in the same," says Coulam, "all the owners are in."

Coulam is joined in the syndicate by Brigette Solomon, who's husband Matthew White trains the horse, Fred Donovan, Simon Pulley, Barry Cuttance, Geoff Wilson, John Hales and Kendall Laidlaw.

Bought for $40,000 by White at the 2022 National Yearling Sales in Christchurch, Paramount Kiwi (Father Patrick - Paramount Star) has barely put a hoof wrong in seven starts, winning five races and finishing third in the other two.

So far he's accrued just over $126K in stakes.

"Over the years I've had shares in close to 100 and he's the best horse I've had," says Coulam.

"When he won that 2YO race at Addington it was the first time a horse of mine had raced in the South Island and it was a huge thrill to win at The Met."

The race in question was the NZB Standardbred Harness Million 2YO Mobile Trot in October 2023.

Coulam's professional life has revolved around education. He was a principal for 30 of those years. He is still a director at the Waikato - Bay of Plenty Harness Inc (Cambridge) and spent eight years on the board at Harness Racing New Zealand, including a stint as Chair.

His passion for harness racing stemmed back to 1975 when he witnessed John Langdon make history by taking out the Inter Dominion Pacing-Trotting double with Young Quinn and Castleton's Pride.

"He became my hero - I was about 16 at the time."

His first winner as an owner was with Untold at Alexandra Park when he won by nearly five lengths in 1979.

"I thought this game was easy!"

Coulam and his fellow syndicates are under no illusions as to the task ahead of Paramount Kiwi at the first ever THE ASCENT at Addington Raceway's Show Day Twilight meeting on Friday, November 15.

Worth $500,000, it's going to attract a top trans-Tasman field.

"When you look at that top Aussie (Keayang Zahara), Tyron Eros for the Dunns, Father Time,  Empire City and Cyclone Zion W - and that's just for starters - it's realistically going to be cracker of a race," says Coulam.

So who from the syndicate will be there?

"Only two won't be, one has work commitments and the other one's in Aussie."

Other ASCENT/VELOCITY slot-holders : 

To see the Breckon Racing/Richard Cole profile click  here 

To see the Pukekohe Punter click here 

To see Diane Reilly click here 

To see Peter and Janet Argus click here 

To see Tumby Park click here