Trentham’s feature jumps meeting has been a happy hunting ground for Ken Duncan, and he will return with Izymydaad (NZ) (Istidaad) on Saturday to chase top honours in the Grant Plumbing Wellington Steeplechase (5500m).
The Hunterville horseman won back-to-back Wellington Hurdles (3400m) with former star Wee Biskit (NZ) (Zed) in 2015 and 2016, with his top result in the steeplechase feature coming last season when Izymydaad finished just over a length adrift of champion jumper West Coast (NZ) (Mettre En Jeu).
West Coast will not start in this year’s edition but another big challenge awaits in The Cossack (NZ) (Mastercraftsman), who will carry 73kg, while the son of Istidaad is five and a half kilograms better off in the weights under regular rider Stephan Karnicnik.
“We hope he can pull out a repeat performance of last year, West Coast isn’t turning up this time but obviously The Cossack was very unlucky being hampered in that race and he’ll be right there again this time,” Duncan said.
“We’ll be going head-to-head with him, as well as everyone else in the race.
“Izymydaad enjoys the course, it’s a free-wheeling sort of track with nice corners for a little horse, so it plays into our hands a little bit in that respect.”
Duncan will also be represented by a half-sister to Wee Biskit in Fabulous Nancy (NZ) (Fabulous), who showed improvement over the bigger fences when finishing second to Kentucky Boy (NZ) (Jakkalberry) at Hastings, while another relation to the mare in He Zed Go (NZ) (Zed) has his second appearance over fences on Saturday.
Fabulous Nancy will line up in the Norm Bevan Memorial Maiden Steeplechase (4000m) with Joshua Parker engaged to ride, while Corey Wiles partners He Zed Go in the Cody Singer Memorial Maiden Hurdle (2500m).
“It was a good honest run from her (Fabulous Nancy) last start, she’s just a work in progress and plays a bit of polo in the off-season,” Duncan said.
“The heavier the track, the better she’ll go so it may not be quite up her alley this time but that’s okay, she can have another go around and she’s a nice jumper so those fences suit.
“He Zed Go is another work in progress, he’s growing flat-out at the moment so he’s still a bit weak but we’ll give some experience this year and he might be half-handy next year.”
Savabeel seven-year-old Peerless Warrior will revert back to the flat to provide Duncan’s trackwork rider Nicole Jenkins a ride in the Fusion Electrical 2100 for amateur jockeys.
“He didn’t look like he was going to get a rider in the maiden chase, so we slipped him in the amateur to give Nicole a ride. She knows him very well and he’s been working up a treat,” Duncan said.
“She’s been sitting on the sideline for a couple, she loves doing these races but I haven’t got many to put in them for her.”
