A return to Riccarton is looming large on the horizon for reigning Grand National winners West Coast and Berry The Cash, who have been entered for a pair of 2200m races on the flat at Waverley on Sunday.
The Mark Oulaghan-trained stablemates have been off the scene since Hawke’s Bay’s showpiece jumps meeting on June 29, where Berry The Cash won the Hawke’s Bay Hurdle (3100m) and West Coast was runner-up in the Hawke’s Bay Steeplechase (4800m).
Two-time Grand National Steeplechase (5600m) hero West Coast is entered for Sunday’s Ecolab Maiden (2200m), with Sarah O’Malley booked to ride.
Berry The Cash, whose four-race winning sequence over hurdles started in last year’s Grand National Hurdles (4200m), will be aided by Jessica Allen’s 3kg claim in Sunday’s Sportz Bar Wanganui-MRN Contracting (2200m).
Oulaghan has been pleased with the pair’s progress as they build towards their return to Christchurch. West Coast is being set for the Koral Steeplechase (4250m) on August 3 ahead of his shot at a third consecutive Racecourse Hotel & Motor Lodge Grand National Steeplechase title on August 10. Oulaghan has won the Grand National Steeplechase on a record eight occasions.
Berry The Cash is also set to line up on both Saturdays of the Grand National Carnival, contesting the Sydenham Hurdles (3100m) and the Hospitality New Zealand Canterbury Grand National Hurdles.
“I think they’re both tracking well enough towards the National Carnival,” Oulaghan said. “They had a little bit of a break after Hawke’s Bay, which is why we didn’t run either of them at Wellington earlier this month. But I’ve been pretty pleased with the way they’ve been working.
“When I entered them, I wasn’t 100 percent sure whether I was going to run them this weekend or not, but it’s a good to have it as an option to make sure they’re up to the mark.”
Oulaghan also has dual representation in Sunday’s Bob Baker Steeplechase (4000m) with Super Spirit and Dal Kilchoan.
Super Spirit has put together a solid form line in four steeplechase starts this winter, starting with a fourth at Wanganui and a second at Woodville behind subsequent Wellington Steeplechase (5500m) placegetter Auld Jock.
Super Spirit won well at Te Rapa on June 15, beating Sweet Taboo by a short neck with the third placegetter another 30 lengths away. In his only start since then, Super Spirit ran third at Te Aroha after mixing his jumps.
“He’s doing a few things wrong at times, but I think he’s going the right way,” Oulaghan said. “He keeps whacking away well in his races. I’ve been happy with him since that last start run. We’ve just been working him along pretty quietly in between times, but I think he’s where he needs to be.”
Dal Kilchoan is switching to steeplechasing after finishing fourth and sixth in two runs over hurdles.
“He just had a couple of problems and I spelled him earlier in the season,” Oulaghan said. “He’s had a couple of hurdle runs to build his fitness up, but I think steeplechasing is more his go. He’ll be better suited to this race on Sunday.”
