Awapuni trainer Mark Oulaghan’s star hurdler Berry The Cash (NZ) (Jakkalberry) will commence his bid to defend his Hospitality NZ Canterbury Grand National Hurdles (4200m) crown when he competes on the flat at Otaki on Saturday.
The eight-year-old gelding will have his first race since his two-run Australian campaign in autumn, which netted a pair of fourth placings in the Brierly Steeplechase (3450m) and Grand Annual Steeplechase (5500m).
“They were reasonable runs (in Australia), but it was a learning curve, and I think if we went back again we would do things a little bit differently, but I was happy enough with the way the horse went,” Oulaghan said.
The son of Jakkalberry returned to New Zealand for a freshen-up, with the aim of heading to Riccarton in August to try and win his third successive Grand National Hurdle title.
Oulaghan is happy with the condition of Berry The Cash and is looking forward to lining him up in the Vets On Riverbank Handicap (1600m) on Saturday.
“He seems pretty well, it is just a mile race, which will be a bit short, but it will be a good gallop for him and somewhere to kick him off,” he said.
“We might back him up at Woodville the following Sunday (over hurdles) and if he gets through that alright, he will go straight to Riccarton.”
Berry The Cash’s Champion Jumper stablemate West Coast will also follow a similar path to try and secure a record fourth consecutive Racecourse Hotel & Motor Lodge Grand National Steeplechase (5600m) title.
He will also just have the one prior jumping assignment before Riccarton, having had a slow and progressive build-up on the flat, including a ninth placed effort over 2200m at Trentham last Saturday.
“He was plodding on at the finish (last Saturday),” Oulaghan said. “It wasn’t a startling run, but he probably went as good as he can go. He will probably go to the steeplechase at Woodville before Riccarton, that’s the plan.”
Berry The Cash will be joined in his weekend contest by stablemate Semper Magico, with the 10-win gelding looking to recapture some form on the flat.
“I thought we would give him another mile, and he can go 2000m next start,” Oulaghan said.
Homebred gelding Pinkerton will also head to Otaki to line-up in the Cavallo Farms and Chris Rutten Bloodstock Handicap (2200m), with Oulaghan hoping the seven-year-old can improve on his last start placing.
“His run there last week was good,” he said. “He doesn’t like the track too puggy, so it all depends on what it is like. I think if it is a loose track he will be a real show, especially with a light weight.”
Further north on Saturday, Super Spirit and Kentucky Boy will trek up Sate Highway One to contest the Waikato Hunt Cup (3900m) at Te Rapa.
“Super Spirit has been a bit disappointing,” Oulaghan said. “We will probably put a hood on him on Saturday and just try to ride him along a bit more. I think the ability is there, but he is not putting a big effort into it. Hopefully we can turn that around.
“Kentucky Boy should go a good race, it is his grade. We expect him to do something.”
Prior to the weekend, Oulaghan will have a two-pronged attack at his local synthetic meeting on Friday, headlined by in-form gelding Jack Morrison in the McVerry Crawford 2140.
The five-year-old son of Darci Brahma has thrived on the surface, winning his last three races at the track, and Oulaghan is hoping he can extend his picket fence form line on Friday.
“He seems to really like the synthetic,” Oulaghan said. “He has got a bit of weight (62.5kg), but the field looks pretty much the same field that he raced against a couple of weeks ago, so hopefully he can do the same thing.”
Oulaghan will also line-up Main Street in the J & J Walters Limited 2140 in a bid to reinvigorate the gelding.
“He raced in the hurdle race at Wellington and was disappointing, he didn’t jump as well as he can,” he said. “We just thought we would try something different, so he can have a run on the synthetic.”