Joshua Parker and Captains Run return to scale
- Cold, wet, and very heavy underfoot conditions prevailed on Grand National Day.
- The Racecourse Hotel & Motor Lodge sponsored Grand National Steeplechase was celebrating its 150th running. Punters expected it to be a duel between the up and coming hot favourite JESKO and the reigning champion WEST COAST. The latter was looking to win the race for the fourth year in succession. CAPTAINS RUN had split JESKO and WEST COAST in the first day’s Koral Steeplechase and improved on that run to break the punters hearts and the historian’s hopes. Ridden by Englishman Joshua Parker for Marton trainer Dan O’Leary CAPTAINS RUN beat JESKO, and the Paul Nelson & Corrina McDougal trained NEDWIN. WEST COAST who blundered after jumping Cutts Brush on the last occasion ran a game race under the topweight of 73kg to finish fourth.
- History also eluded BERRY THE CASH in the Hospitality NZ Canterbury 135th Grand National Hurdles with fifth place being his lot behind the twelve-year-old SULIMAN. SULIMAN, who had been retired from the race in 2023 provided some consolation for his stablemate DICTATION having to miss the race. QUID ran second for Kevin Myers with stablemate and 2023 second placegetter HAPPY STAR in third place. SULIMAN was ridden by Hamish McNeill for Hastings training partnership Paul Nelson and Corrina McDougal.
- The HeatStore Open was the feature flat race over the 1800 metres distance and provided HE’S TUNZA GRUNT with a winning trick after running a good race in the Winning Edge Presentations Winter Cup on the first day. Timaru’s Stephanie Faulkner is fashioning a most impressive record as a trainer with Brandon May the rider of the winner. CORK ran second with BOZO third.
- Bevan and Robyn Wilson lined up three horses in the feature sprint the Stephanie Murray Mortgages Open with 2022 Winter Cup winner LORD DARCI defeating stablemate VICTORIAN CHARM, MIDNIGHT RUNNER, and the favourite BRADMAN.
- Charges of Riverton trainer Kelvin Tyler usually appreciate testing winter conditions and VAMOS and RETURN FLIGHT duly obliged with the latter bringing the curtain down in the last race on yet another very successful Grand National Festival of Racing.