With multiple recent placings behind a rising star of New Zealand’s steeplechasing ranks, Al’s Red Zed takes strong form credentials into Saturday’s Waikato Hunt Cup (3900m) at Te Rapa.
Al’s Red Zed began his steeplechasing career last winter, scoring a three-length maiden win at Trentham in July before finishing fourth in the Koral Steeplechase (4250m) and falling at the last fence of the Grand National Steeplechase (5600m).
The Zed gelding has had two steeplechase starts this winter for two placings, both behind Jesko. He ran third in a 3800m open steeplechase at Wanganui on May 11, then finished second – beaten by six and three-quarter lengths – in the Manawatu Steeplechase (4000m) on June 7.
Jesko went on to extend his impressive winning sequence to three with another commanding performance in last Saturday’s Wellington Steeplechase (4900m).
“Those were a couple of very good runs for placings behind Jesko, who’s emerged as a pretty exciting prospect this season,” said Paul Nelson, who trains Al’s Red Zed in partnership with Corrina McDougal.
“We’ve been happy with both of those performances this time in. If he runs to that form again on Saturday, he should be competitive in that race.
“His campaign was briefly interrupted with a stone bruise after the Manawatu Steeplechase, but he’s over that now and has been working up nicely leading into this weekend.”
Nelson said the 10-year-old is unlikely to make another trip to Christchurch for the Grand National Carnival next month.
“I doubt we’ll take him down to Riccarton again,” he said. “It seems like distances beyond about 4000m might be a bit much for him. But we’ll see how he goes tomorrow and then we might have a better idea of what else we’ll do with him this season.”
Al’s Red Zed’s stablemate The Bambino also brings a consistent form line into Saturday’s Te Rapa meeting, where he will line up in the OTL Group Hurdle (2800m).
The seven-year-old son of Rock ‘N’ Pop was off the scene for almost a year before resuming in the Grant Sweeney Memorial Hurdle (3000m) at Wanganui on May 11, where he ran third behind Verry Flash and Obrigado.
The Bambino’s next start produced a fourth behind Billy Boy, Verry Flash and Run Jakko Run in the Manawatu Hurdles (2500m) at Trentham on June 7, followed by a last-start third at Te Aroha on June 22 – beaten by a long head and a short neck by Lord Spencer and Invisible Spirit.
“He’s going really nicely this time in,” Nelson said. “He’s been working well since then too and is showing us the right signs. Hopefully he might be able to step up a couple of places on Saturday.
“I’m hoping the track on Saturday might not be quite as testing as he’s been racing on lately. I was talking to Butch Castles at Te Rapa earlier today, and he said it’s very wet but should be fairly loose. That’ll suit him better than the really sticky ground.”
Incidentally, Castles, the chief executive of Waikato Thoroughbred Racing, is the co-breeder of Al’s Red Zed and raced his twice-winning dam Taatledoya.
Nelson and McDougal’s Te Rapa contingent also includes last-start placegetter Empire State and the four-year-old Skaw Valley in the Irwin’s Truck & Bus Maiden Hurdle (2800m).