Telfers' tilt at new record continues at Auckland and Addington tonight
Michael Guerin • December 5th, 2025 11:14 AM • 4 min read
When Steve Telfer used to work for champion horseman Barry Purdon morning smoko was surrounded by a parade of champions.
Don’t miss out on the best in harness racing - watch Friday Night Lights every Friday on Trackside 1 and trackside.co.nz from 4.30pm.
Telfer and the other staff would have their coffee break in Purdon’s humble-looking hut but one covered inside with harness racing greatness.
There on the walls were photos of some of the great moments in Purdon’s career, champions like Luxury Liner, Christopher Vance, Chokin and later Holmes D G.
But there was one framed piece of work that stayed with Telfer as did the number emblazoned across its top.
“I remember looking at it almost every day, with that number 168 on it,” says Telfer.
That was a commemorative piece to celebrate the 1993-94 season in which Barry and his now late father Roy trained the New Zealand record 168 wins in a season.
In the next week, maybe fortnight, Telfer expects to break it.
He will have had plenty of help, Team Telfer is a big machine.
Funded and run by Stonewall Stud’s Steve Stockman, along with Steve Telfer’s partner Jill Stockman, they have a wonderful northern property not far from where Purdon still trains.
In Canterbury Telfer’s sister Amanda runs another property, with decades of experience alongside her in a team that has Tim Williams as their southern stable driver.
It takes a lot of people, horses and money to break a 31-year-old record set by legends but Team Telfer are about to do just that.
They go into the last month of the season on 158 wins, had a couple of winning chances at Cambridge on Thursday and then more at Addington and Alexandra Park tonight.
“We have some good chances and then we are sending seven horses to the two-day meeting at Manawatu next and we would expect to pick up some winners there,” says Telfer.
“We are so busy I am not allowing myself to think about it too much but when I do it is crazy to think after looking at that pic for some many years we should really break that record now.”
Once the middle section of this season went so well Stockman set his training team a goal.
“You have got to have a goal. Mine has always been that 168, plus one obviously to get the record, and big Steve [Stockman] challenged us to try and get 170,” says Telfer.
“We have some decent sized teams going to some meetings down south and we are even sending a team to the Coast [Westport and Reefton] at Christmas.
“I know the TAB had an option us to get 190 or even 200 but that won’t happen.
“If I had to guess I’d say 175 might top us out, but I’d be happy with that.”
So he should be, that sort of total would represent a winner almost every two days for a year, and there are plenty of days of the year when there is no harness racing.
Telfer opts for J T Boe (Race 9, No.5), who was massive recovering for fourth after a standing start gallop last start, as the stable’s best Addington chance tonight.“He will really appreciate being back to the mobile while Sonofamistery (Race 4, No.9) can overcome his wide draw as I think he is even better driven for speed.”He rates Melody Banner (Race 8, No.4) their best hope at Alexandra Park tonight but warns punters Akatea (Race 6, No.7) will go close in the Caduceus Club Breeders Stakes.While it won’t happen tonight at some stage in the next fortnight Telfer will get to that number he admired so often, 168 wins, and then he will train one more and break a record that never look likely to be broken.
Then early in 2026 Team Telfer can order their own artwork with a new number for their morning team room.
Don’t miss out on the best in harness racing - watch Friday Night Lights every Friday on Trackside 1 and trackside.co.nz from 4.30pm.
