Matt Smith

Two Otago walkers will head to the Oceania Race Walking Cup in Hobart in February - and one has the other to thank for pulling on the singlet for the first time.

The wait is over and the weight will be piling on for 10 Otago athletes in the New Zealand powerlifting team in Auckland today.

The John and Karen Parsons-trained Arietta passes the infield marquees on her way to a win in the $25,000 Wanaka Cup at Cromwell on Sunday.

Tony Johnston continued a fine tradition of Otago squash administrators when he was voted in as the chairman of Squash New Zealand on Saturday.

A racing education will continue for impressive debut winner Starsky's Dream when he lines up at Gore today.

Alexandra shearing contractor Peter Lyon is starting to form a habit of winning cups in Central Otago.

Herois Guru will continue his racing career in Hong Kong after being sold by his owner-breeders, Brian and Lorraine Anderton.

A change in training may turn Franco Nelson from a pretender to a contender in the $20,000 Geraldine Cup at Orari tomorrow.

There is something about a mile race in harness racing. Ever since pacing and trotting began in the 1700s, the mile distance was the yardstick - or standard - around the world. In fact, the term standardbred came from the requirement of all horses to reach the ''standard'' of 2min 30sec for a mile in 1879. The Miracle Mile is the premier mile race ever since its inception in 1967. With the 2013 edition of the Miracle Mile set to be held at Menangle on Saturday night, Matt Smith looks back at five of the race's greats since its inception in 1967.

Caitlin Blakely and Polly Inglis like to lead from the front.

Natuzzi has earned a trip north to Auckland after his desperately unlucky run for second in the Stewards Stakes at Riccarton two weeks ago.

Waikouaiti trainer-driver Andrew Faulks had his first winning drive since May, 2012 at Forbury Park last night - but now he's worried he's not even the best driver in the household.

New Otago race caller Jason Teaz began his commentating career on the back of a bicycle.