The showdown looks like it's not until the second half but wait,...There'll be plenty more meantime!
New Zealand harness fans will have to wait for the epic rematches of last year it seems as two of the necessary players are plotted different paths to begin a potentially breath taking year of racing here.
Player one in the ‘Showdown’ with his rival 'GTC' and co-headlining the next generation facing a step into the great wide open ranks is Marketplace!
“He’s bigger and stronger this year by the look of him on the water walker so as long as he’s just as fast I think we’re in big business,” suggested trainer Regan Todd, anticipating the racing year ahead which will target Australia.
“He’s thrived on the biggest rest he’s ever had and we’re going to build into it with a long steady approach so Auckland is too soon for our planning. We’ll hit Addington in May for a guage and target the Queensland Carnival in July.”
Marketplace's blistering speed feels the right fit for making his mark in Australia, where an invite for the 'Rising Sun' could be expected if the campaign stays the course.
When quizzed about his stable star stepping up to the open ranks, Regan was to the point: “We’ll know by the end of Winter won’t we, but I think it’s a good time to be stepping in.”
Meanwhile the other key part and player in the ‘Showdown’, Got The Chocolates is also looking to re‑stamp his authority as promised in last year’s epic battles with MP and transcend into the elite alongside his rival and driver John Dunn has been here often enough to know what’s required.
“Look, it’s always harder than you think taking the final steps into open class, but he was so good the second half of last year in terms of his cruising speed and sectionals we’re more than hopeful he will make the ultimate grade this year.”
Conscious of not going too hard too early given the big year ahead, the camp are happy to play the Auckland features, and news of the arch‑rival heading to Australia is just a bonus.
“These Auckland age‑group features will be tough enough in the meantime because despite the two‑horse dominance last year there are others bound to get better too.”
“We’ve got our eyes on a build‑up in the second half of the year and our guy’s slight lack of gate speed compared to the Aussies in general doesn’t lend itself to taking on the hot races too early over there. Don’t worry, he’d be a handful for the best of them, but at what cost given the year ahead,” considers Dunn.
There’s confidence Got The Chocolates can make 2026 his own at all levels, especially if he masters the standing start for the Spring — but first things first, and it’s Auckland for the ‘Messenger’ and ‘Taylor Mile’ on the schedule for one of the most anticipated campaigns in many years.
All eyes on how it unfolds.
Can another pinup boy bounce back at three and be the new sensation, good enough to match even the formidable Australians?
“Dave is looking and working great,” said Steven Reid between weather fronts and yearling tours looking for ‘the next one’ with partner Bella Storer.
‘Dave’ is the stable handle for Jumal, named for his renowned breeder Dave ‘Beaudine’ Kennedy, btw...
After close consideration, the camp have decided to stay close to home in the first part of the racing season.
Reid explains his reasoning.
“We gave serious thought to chasing the New South Wales Derby at Menangle but given it’s the same time as the Harness Million and Alabar Classic, we’ve decided Auckland is as far as we’ll travel this time. I just want to see if he comes back as dominant this time before we commit to Australian racing. I’m pretty confident he will be the force to be reckoned with, but you can bet on the competition getting better too.”
It's easy to forget, 'Dave' was third best behind Freeze Frame and Allamerican Player in the Woodlands Series Sires Stakes final in November but not hard to remember his efforts that day.
Queensland could be on the cards if all falls into place, but the group are also aware how that sort of campaign can impact the lucrative New Zealand classic racing in the Spring.
"The Spring Racing here arrives quickly and if you've been slugging it out in Queensland you can back yourself into a corner pretty easily" thinks the 'Reidman' giving the impression such a trip is a low percentage option for his charge.
Meanwhile, the camp continue on the sales trail for another colt, and Jumal’s other principal shareholder Malcolm Wrigley fancies the prospect of a racing‑and‑breeding project, with a fancy‑bred filly on the radar in February.
The tours are underway and the hunt is on to find the next generation of New Zealand Standardbred superstars with this years NZB Standardbred Sales approaching. Bidding begins mid‑February, starting in Auckland on the 16th before shifting south to Christchurch on the 18th.
It’s not the weather that will be shifting, but the strategies. Expect plenty of manoeuvring nationwide before everything funnels into the big smoke at Alexandra Park through March / May for Autumn Classic Racing . Key features include the three-year-old Harness Million Series, Magness Benrow and IRT three‑year‑old pacing fillies and trotting series, along with the Caduceus Club Three‑Year‑Old Pacing Fillies Final. The three-year-old boys return to Addington for their Group One Garrard's Final on May 22nd. Look out for Night of Champions at Cambridge where the Sires' Stakes Semi-finals are contested on a huge night for the sport.
This Uncut Gems series continues to shine a spotlight on the second tier — competitive, exciting horses ready to step forward and potentially launch into stardom. It’s still a little way off on May 15th, but it will be here before we know it.
No doubt our Australian mates across the Tasman are itching to return and raid the New Zealand prize money once again. They’ve enjoyed themselves in recent seasons, leaving locals scratching their heads and searching for answers.
The upside is that many of those Australian dollars will flow back into our equine ecosystem at the yearling sales. Increasingly, Aussie buyers are teaming up with Kiwi owners and stables, creating more trans‑Tasman partnerships and strengthening the Australasian harness racing landscape — just as New Zealand prepares to host the World Trotting Conference this spring.
