Mark Oulaghan is hoping the extreme distance of Saturday’s 150th Grand National Steeplechase (5600m) will play into the hands of West Coast (NZ), as his champion jumper attempts to rewrite the history books at Riccarton.
Bryce Newman is content on playing the long game with his talented filly Abbakiss (Microphone), who made a sharp return to the trials on Tuesday at Foxton.
Synthetic flyer Cosentino silenced any doubt about running out the seven furlongs with a blistering performance to claim Sunday’s $100,000 Japac Homes Polytrack Championship (1400m) at Awapuni.
As Stephen Gray’s first season back on home soil nears a close, the Palmerston North trainer was rapt to add three more wins to the stable’s tally on the Awapuni Synthetic on Thursday.
For just the second time in his 40-year training career, Howie Mathews is currently winless for the season, something he is looking to change when he heads to Awapuni’s synthetic meeting on Thursday.
Track specialist Sinbin returned to her favourite Trentham track to claim her biggest victory to date, when she stormed home against the outside fence to win the Bill Tito Book Repair Specialist North Island Challenge Stakes (1200m).
Race favourite Billy Boy, who was having just his third start over hurdles, produced one of the great staying performances to capture the Aztech Engineering Wellington Hurdle (3200m) at Trentham on Saturday.
