Welcome to Tony Herlihy Racing Stables
where 'The Ice Man burns up the Race Track'

New Zealand harness racing history was created at Alexandra Park in Auckland tonight (Friday February 25) when a legend nick-named 'The Iceman' became the first reinsman to drive 3,000 winners. No driver or jockey has won that many races before. Tonight Tony Herlihy - the 52-year-old they call 'Alexandra Park's favourite son' changed all that! ....read more

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Tony Herlihy “The Ice Man” as he is affectionately known in Harness racing circles of Australasia is one of the nice guys of racing and has become a very renowned and sort after Trainer and Driver. His nickname came about by the admiration other racing personnel have of his nerves of steel which have helped him compile many records and catapult him to the top of his profession.

Tony is regarded as New Zealand’s most prolific winning reinsman of all time, which provides testimony as to why he dominates the list of drivers of Inter Dominion Trotting Grand Final winners.

As a driver Tony’s skills, have been and still are in great demand, as evidenced by his career figures at the end of the 2008/09 season where he had amassed around 15,700 starts in New Zealand plus Australia for a record of nearly 3,600 race wins and prize money exceeding $30million. Tony wrote himself into the history book when on a memorable night at Auckland’s Alexandra Park in October in 2001, he drove seven of the 10 winners at the meeting of which four of them were from his own stable.

Not only has Tony been a successful driver but since taking over the property and training in his own right he has also proved himself as a top trainer. After learning skills in the South Auckland stable of his brother-in-law Mark Purdon, it did not take long for Tony to show he was not only cool and calm on the track but could also handle to extra pressure of training horses to become top earners for their owners.

Since he started training in the 1985/86 season until the end of the 2008/09 season Tony had trained nearly 2,200 starters for 426 winners and stake earning amounting to over $5.7 million.

The current season figures are also shaping up well to continue supporting his proud past achievements.

It has been said of Tony, “To put it simply he is the best, he always seems to get the best out of a horse.”

No doubt this will continue as with both his training and driving skills he has maintained a very high profile and influence within Harness racing circles which will ensure there are still plenty of skills and opportunities for Tony to show us all yet.

AT WAIHEKE KERRY PASAUL TONY HERLIHY STEVEN REID KEN BRECKON