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By Chief Stipe · Posted
There was already money allocated in the budget for track infrastructure. I might add that $10m would barely fix one track. -
By Wandering Eyes · Posted
Captains Run split his more fancied rivals Jesko and West Coast in last week’s Koral Steeplechase (4250m) at Riccarton, and trainer Dan O’Leary is hoping he can go one better in Saturday’s Racecourse Hotel & Motor Lodge 150th Grand National Steeplechase (5600m). The 10-year-old gelding led the field into the home straight in last week’s feature, and he looked to have his rivals in plenty of trouble until Jesko drew level when jumping the final fence, and he continued his momentum to score by three lengths over the Marton jumper. O’Leary was thrilled with Captains Run’s performance, and he said his gelding has thrived in the interim. “We were rapt, it was a really good run,” he said. “He has come through the run very well and he has worked well this week. I think he has taken a lot of improvement out of that race. I think he is in really good order.” Captains Run has been a model of consistency over the bigger fences, winning one and placing in 10 of his 13 Steeplechase starts, including back-to-back runner-up performances in the Great Northern Steeplechase (6500m) and finishing third in last year’s Grand National Steeplechase. However, a prestige jumps title has remained elusive, something O’Leary is looking to rectify this weekend. Captains Run will be joined in Saturday’s showpiece by stablemate Te Kahu, who finished fifth in the Koral Steeplechase. It was the 12-year-old gelding’s first steeplechase test this year and O’Leary said he has taken immense benefit from the run. “In the first steeplechase (this preparation) he over raced slightly,” O’Leary said. “He has improved a lot as well this week, but he has a lot of ground to make up to be competitive.” Te Kahu has a strong jumping CV, having won four races over the bigger fences, including the Great Northern Steeplechase (6200m) and Hawke’s Bay Steeplechase (4800m), and placed in the Pakuranga Hunt Cup (4200m) and both of his starts in Australia – the Mosstrooper Steeplechase (3500m) and WC and AC Miller Steeplechase (3800m). Captains Run is currently the third elect with TAB bookmakers for the Grand National Steeplechase at $7.50, behind Jesko ($1.65) and West Coast ($3.50), while Te Kahu is rated a $17 winning chance. View the full article -
By Wandering Eyes · Posted
It has been a while between drinks for Mathew Gillies on Grand National Day, but the talented hoop has plenty of firepower heading into this year’s time-honoured Riccarton meeting. A decade ago, Gillies partnered Tallyho Twinkletoe to a dominant win the Hospitality NZ Canterbury 126th Grand National Hurdles (4200m), the gelding’s first major crown in a storied jumping career. Despite starting favourite, Tallyho Twinkletoe was a talent largely untapped at that stage, and Gillies recalled his surprise when he bolted clear in the straight. “He showed a lot of potential and had that raw talent, but I didn’t think he would win it so easily,” Gillies said. “He’d won at Rotorua and was quite dominant, but he was up in class and surprised me with how many gears he had. “You generally know as you’re coming into the 1000m point, and by the 600m, if you’ve still got horse underneath you, then you might be in with a chance. If you’re battling, there’s still a long way to go. “It was a great win by a very good horse.” The result was a standout for Gillies, who looked forward to heading south again after taking time away from riding in the last couple of years. “It’s a real pleasure to ride at Riccarton, particularly when you’re on a good jumper and they’re stepping their fences,” he said. “We only race there twice a year now (during National Week), which is a bit of a shame, but I’m really happy that they still have the meeting down there.” His week in Christchurch got off to the perfect start last Saturday, guiding Paul Nelson and Corrina McDougal’s hurdler Dictation to a comfortable 4-1/2 length victory in the Sydenham Hurdles (3100m). Off the back of that effort, Dictation earned equal-favouritism for the National alongside defending champion Berry The Cash, but was ruled out of the race on Wednesday afternoon through a minor injury. That left Gillies without a mount in the $100,000 feature, but he swiftly got the call-up from Tallyho Twinkletoe’s former trainer Kevin Myers to ride Happy Star. A stakes performer on the flat, it came as no surprise that Happy Star would excel over fences, and the gelding won the National in his first season of jumping in 2022. He returned to Riccarton Park the following year and carried topweight to finish second behind Berry The Cash, and after a year off the scene, the son of Fabulous only narrowly went down to Never Look Back in the Hawke’s Bay Hurdles (3000m) in mid-July. Gillies was rapt to pick up the ride on the 10-year-old and has done his homework with the assistance of Shaun Fannin, who has won four races on the gelding. “I’ve had a good talk with Shaun Fannin and spoke about the best way to ride this horse and get him jumping well, and he gave me good instructions to aid him,” Gillies said. “Shaun rode him so well a few years ago when he won the Sydenham leading up to the National. “He ran second in the National that year to Berry The Cash when carrying four kilos more, and this year, he’ll carry six kilos less than him so that’ll be a good advantage for us. “I’m really happy to be riding for Kevin as I was a stable rider for him ten years ago. I’m really looking forward to it.” Later in the day, Gillies will reunite with the Nelson/McDougal stable aboard Nedwin, who tackles the Racecourse Hotel and Motor Lodge 150th Grand National Steeplechase (5600m), off the back of a fourth-place finish in the Koral Steeplechase (4250m). A top-class hurdler, Nedwin recently stepped into the steeplechasing role and impressed Gillies with his progress throughout Saturday’s event, which was won by Jesko. “He was only having his third steeplechase start so he was a little bit green, but by halfway through the race, he was really loving his work and stepping his fences,” he said. “He was making up ground at most fences, so he learned a lot there. “He ended up blowing out at the 600m, and if you look between the second-to-last and last fence, he was tired but he came back to challenge them again, which was quite impressive considering he needed that race for fitness. “I think with a week between the runs and having that fitness, he’ll be a better horse on Saturday. I know there is the extra distance as well, but what he’s done in his hurdling and with his talent, he should be a really good chance.” Aside from a fall earlier in the season, Gillies has enjoyed being back in the saddle this year, crediting his success largely to the Hastings trainers. “It’s been great to ride for Paul and Corrina, they are very good trainers and you get confidence riding their horses,” he said. “They are always fit and know how to jump well, which makes my job a lot easier. “I had a fall at Te Rapa and got kicked in the back ribs and it got my kidney, which took a bit of healing. But, I only took two or three weeks and I was back riding, so other than that, it’s been pretty smooth sailing. “It’s been good to be back.” View the full article -
By Wandering Eyes · Posted
Niall Quinn’s Wanganui stable again promises to be a force to be reckoned with at Riccarton on Saturday. He savoured success on the opening day of the Grand National meeting and will be hoping for the celebrations to continue and cap off a grand week. “We really enjoy Riccarton and try to bring the best of our team down here,” Quinn said. “They look after us really well and do an exceptional job, the hospitality has been grand and made us feel so welcome.” Quinn produced Hidalgo to score over jumps at the first time of asking last Saturday and the son of Pure Champion will attempt to make it two on the bounce in the Speight’s Ultra Tap 0-1 Win Hurdle (3100m). “He has done really well and will continue to improve,” Quinn said. “It won’t be as easy on Saturday with the improved track conditions and obviously Duke Of Plumpton and Doctor Iris are good horses. “He’s a new boy and it’s a nice next step for him and his future.” Stablemate Mr Fahrenheit will take a consistent form line into the Hospitality NZ Canterbury Grand National Hurdles (4200m). The son of Zed has yet to break through over fences after multiple placings and will face a step up in grade after running fourth behind Hidalgo on the opening day. “He will really like the extra trip, he has trained on really well and has a good group of owners from the South Island who are keen on jumps racing,” Quinn said. They include Allan Stalker, who prepared Joint Effort to win the 2010 edition of the National. “Allan does a lot of the pre-training with this bloke and he’s a very genuine horse, I think he deserves his chance to be there and anything can happen,” Quinn said. Off the back of the jumping events, Quinn will look to his Gr.3 Winter Cup (1600m) runner-up Who Knows to go one better in the Heatstore Open Handicap (1800m). “It was a very good field and I didn’t think she could win fresh-up over a mile in a Group Three, but we were expecting a pretty good run after being happy with her work going into it,” he said. Who Knows has won four of her 14 starts and her southern sojourn will stand her in good stead for the future. “We really wanted trip give her a good trip away to help her mature a bit more, although she’s a six-year-old she is still relatively new to the whole thing,” Quinn said. “We’ll reassess her when she gets home and look at future targets.” View the full article -
By Wandering Eyes · Posted
JJ Rayner is bidding to follow in the footsteps of her father at Riccarton on Saturday. The Wanganui horsewoman will realise a long-held dream if her charge Lord Spencer can claim top honours in the Hospitality NZ Canterbury Grand National Hurdles (4200m). In 1990, the Evan Rayner-trained Mister Divinsky won the Sydenham Hurdles (3200m) before he produced another dashing display seven days later to coast home in the National and remain unbeaten over the small fences. “It would be so awesome to match that, he was a fabulous jumper and won all six of his races before he sadly broke down,” JJ Rayner said. Last year’s Great Northern Hurdle (4200m) winner Lord Spencer didn’t figure in the finish of the Sydenham on the opening day of the festival but will strip a lot fitter for the outing. He had suffered a minor setback after finishing fifth in the Hawke’s Bay Hurdles (3000m) before heading south. “It probably didn’t look much last Saturday, but he really needed it,” Rayner said. “After Woodville, he tweaked his joint a little bit. It was nothing major and we had to give him a few days off and then go quietly. “He was a bit fresh on the first day and pulled hard, he was probably way too handy during the running, so it was all a bit upside down for him.” Since then, Lord Spencer has done everything right ahead of the National, in which he will again be ridden by Lemmy Douglas. “He’s done so well during the week, he hasn’t left an oat and had a good bowl around on the plough on Thursday morning,” Rayner said. “He’s really good, he’s bouncing around and eating well, he’s fighting fit.” She has also made a change with Saturday’s extended trip in mind. ‘I’ve taken the side winkers off for Saturday, he’s got another 1000m to go so we’re hoping he’ll settle like he normally does,” Rayner said. “I won’t be too worried if he switches off and goes back and then gets going again, that’s how he likes to do things. “He can go through a flat patch, he’s a really funny horse and you can’t boss him around. “He can’t be told what to do, he can dig his toes in, so you just have to go with him.” Lord Spencer has won three times over fences and finished fourth in the National 12 months ago and less than five lengths off the winner Berry The Cash, the pre-post favourite in the defence of his title. View the full article
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