2nd Day News from the Grand National
Big syndicate wins hurdles
- If a horse has had more supporters at a racemeeting than JACKFROST it will be one heck of a surprise. As JACKFROST powered away in the Hospitality NZ Canterbury Grand National Hurdles the Grandstand exploded. Owners and supporters came from everywhere as the grey returned to scale for Southland based English jockey Stuart Higgins. Hall of Fame trainer Brian ‘BJ’ Anderton, whilst passing all credit to son and training partner Shane, still basked in the glory of his fourth win in the famous race.
- The Grand National Amateur Championship, ably and enthusiastically supported by Brian Noonan’s Nautical Boat Insurance, has been a crowd favourite from its inception following the running of the Duke of Gloucester Cup in 2014. Thirteen runners faced the starter with I’LLAV BUBBLES backing up from her second placing on the first day to claim a game win after a perfect ride from leading Amateur Clinton Isdale. Owners the ‘Pussy Galore Syndicate’ partied long into the night. Young rider Luke Myers flew home aboard AVE MARIA to just miss fulfilling his father Kevin’s prediction over a month ago that Luke would win the race. The Myers stable is a strong supporter of the Amateur races so Luke’s day is unlikely to be long coming.
- Five weeks earlier the Mark Oulaghan trained DES DE JEU made international headlines with the extraordinary remount by rider Aaron Kuru to win after falling at the first fence at Awapuni. That day the combination sensationally got up to beat GAGARIN. The two horses lined up against each other again in the Racecourse Hotel & Motor Lodge 0-1 win Steeplechase, the third race on the card, and somewhat ironically GARGARIN lost his rider on this occasion whilst DES DE JEU was again a very strong winner.
- The days other jumps race was the Trevino’s Bar & Restaurant Maiden Hurdle with young trainer Amanda Schwarz preparing BLUES BREAKER to the easiest of wins by 10 lengths with Stuart Higgins the winning rider.
- As was the case on the first day the winning count was six to southern stables and four to the northern raiders.
