Rain no bother for Nelson/McDougal team

[Wandering Eyes]

Torrid weather conditions in Hawke’s Bay have not halted the success of Paul Nelson and Corrina McDougal’s stable, with Raucous adding to their winning tally at Te Rapa on Saturday.

While the majority of their training occurs on Nelson’s farm, the past few weeks of torrential rain has seen their team heading into the Hastings track to keep fitness levels up, a method proving successful, recording their 16th winner for the season over the weekend.

Irishman Jack Power produced another winner for the Hastings training partnership when Raucous cruised to victory in the SVS Starting Gates 0-1 Steeplechase (3900m), remaining in touch with pacemakers Bak Da Master and Torque Time throughout and cruised to a 4-1/4 length win.

“It was probably the best he’s been really, he settled in behind and jumped extra well for him,” Nelson said.

Trentham becomes the target for the stable this Saturday, with the iconic Wellington Steeplechase and Hurdle Day set to be a strong tussle between this season’s in-form jumpers, with Nedwin and Suliman set to contest the first feature event, the Hydra-Cell Wellington Hurdles (3400m).

Part-owned by Nelson and wife Carol, Nedwin claimed his seventh win in eight races in the Waikato Hurdle (3200m) in June, and will head into Saturday’s race as defending champion following his 10-length romp last season.

Also featuring in the race is Awapuni Hurdle (2800m) winner Suliman, the son of in-form sire Redwood coming off a last-start fourth behind Happy Star in the Hawkes Bay Hurdles (3100m).

“He was alright (following Hawkes Bay), we’ve had Tommy Behrns (equine chiropractor) to look at him yesterday before Wellington,” Nelson said.

Champion jumper The Cossack recorded his 12th win over the fences when taking out the Waikato Steeplechase (3900m) last month, and will line-up a likely favourite in the Grant Plumbing Wellington Steeplechase (5500m) on Saturday.

The son of Mastercraftsman will be joined by stablemate Argyll in the feature event, the nine-year-old a classy performer in his own right having won both Waikato and Hawke’s Bay Steeplechases last season, and comes off a placing in the latter behind West Coast a fortnight ago.

“They’ve just been going around and around the hill in the mud, and into the Hastings track a fair bit of the time,” Nelson said.

Champion jumps jockeys Shaun Phelan and Aaron Kuru have guided The Cossack to many of his feature victories, however, with Kuru now based in Australia and Phelan on an injury lay-off, Power will pair with the star jumper at Wellington.

Having only been on New Zealand shores for just over a month, Power will have a potential chance to add the Hydra-Cell Wellington Hurdle (3400m) to his record also, with Nelson pairing Nedwin with the visiting jockey.

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