Gail Temperton hasn’t made too many trips south over the years with her horses, but a quality hurdler made this year’s Grand National Festival of Racing too good of an opportunity to pass up.
The Foxton horsewoman will be represented in Saturday’s Avon City Ford Sydenham Hurdles (3100m) by Never Look Back (NZ) (Shocking), a first-season jumper who made a big impression when defeating a top field in the Hawke’s Bay Hurdles (3000m) earlier this month.
The homebred son of Shocking has come through his Woodville triumph well, giving Temperton the confidence to send him on the truck to Riccarton on Wednesday evening.
“He’s absolutely fine, he’s bounced out of that race very well and he’s the best I’ve seen him,” she said. “As long as he travels okay, and I see no reason why he won’t, he should be in with a chance.
“He’s going tonight with Andy Rennie, Lisa Latta’s horses will be on the truck with him.”
Temperton is welcoming some good fortune in the south, recalling her last placing at the venue was nearly a decade ago.
“I actually looked up this morning when I was last placed in Christchurch and that was with Just Ishi – he ran second in the Sydenham,” she said. “That was quite a long time ago.
“The last time we went, we didn’t have very good luck, so hopefully we find some this time.”
Never Look Back is currently a $4.50 equal-second favourite for the Hospitality NZ Canterbury 135th Grand National Hurdles (4200m) seven days later, but she said his place in the race will depend on Saturday’s performance.
“It will be performance dependant whether we go on to the National next week,” she said.
“I won’t be able to go down due to personal reasons making that a bit difficult, but I will be glued to the television.”