Promising hurdler Never Look Back will encounter a stern test early in his jumping career when he takes on the seasoned campaigners in Saturday’s Manawatu ITM Manawatu Hurdles (2500m) at Trentham.
An accomplished flat galloper, Never Look Back looked the consummate professional in his jumping debut at Wanganui last month, having finished runner-up in the Foxton Cup (2100m) just five days prior.
Now straight into open grade, Never Look Back was set for the Manawatu feature with a run on the flat last Saturday, which was up to the satisfaction of his trainer Gail Temperton.
“He did everything I’d hoped he would on the flat, he’s quite a good doer and I felt that with a couple of weeks apart between his races and the likelihood of a heavy track (at Trentham), he would need the run,” she said.
“He had a wide draw, and he doesn’t go well with those over distance, so I was perfectly happy with that.”
While impressed with his first effort over fences last month, Temperton is under no illusions around the challenge he faces on Saturday, with top-class hurdlers Suliman and Verry Flash heading a competitive line-up.
“The system with jumpers at the moment is that if you’ve won a maiden, you’re straight into the opens against the proper open hurdlers,” she said.
“It’s not going to be easy going from his first hurdle race into Saturday, so while I’m optimistic of a good showing, I’m not expecting him to win. He’ll keep improving, he’s only been competition over fences once, so he’s got a lot to learn in comparison to what he’s racing against.”
Temperton has a similar perspective on Name The Game, a five-start maidener on the flat, who has put in some solid performances ahead of his hurdle debut in the Aztech Engineering Maiden Hurdles (2500m).
“He’s by Nom de Jeu out of a Zabeel mare, and he’s a full-brother to a horse (Nom du Beel) I raced over fences quite successfully,” Temperton said.
“Nom de Jeus are known to be a bit cantankerous, and he can be a little bit difficult, but he’s a very good jumper and once he’s got the experience of one round of jumping, I think he’ll be quite quick.
“I’ve been teaching him on and off for about three years, just waiting for him to furnish into a stronger-looking horse. I think he’s just about there. I don’t expect him to win either, but if runs in the first four or five I’d be very happy.”
With four winners in her last eight starters, Temperton is enjoying a purple patch of form, enhanced by the recent rise of progressive sprinter Procul Boy.
A homebred by Proisir, Temperton was in no rush with Procul Boy and that patience was rewarded immediately when the five-year-old won his first start with some authority at Waverley.
He produced a similar effort at start three, and while each of his victories have come on a Heavy track, Temperton will not hesitate to scratch from the Hallmark and Stone 1300 if track conditions become too testing.
“He looks great, he’s working well, and I think he’s going to be quite a handy horse,” she said.
“I don’t think he really understands what he’s doing yet, Mereana (Hudson, jockey) complains that he goes around the outside and I say ‘it doesn’t matter, as long as he wins’. I really looked at the race that he didn’t win, when he had to go through the field, and you’d say he just went okay.
“He’s in the last race of the day on Saturday and I know he’s gone on the wet twice successfully, but looking at the numbers for the day, if I think the track is going to be too much of a test, I probably won’t start him. “We’ll see what the weather does over the next couple of the days and make a decision.”