Star hurdler Berry The Cash (NZ) (Jakkalberry) will chase his first title at Hastings on Saturday, while stablemate West Coast (NZ) (Mettre En Jeu) is out to defend his crown in the AHD – Animal Health Hawke’s Bay Steeplechase (4800m).
A dual Grand National Steeplechase (5500m) and Great Northern Steeplechase (6500m) winner, West Coast has led the charge for trainer Mark Oulaghan in recent seasons and returned in the same unstoppable fashion with a Manawatu Steeplechase (4000m) victory last month.
The son of Mettre En Jeu has become accustomed to carrying the 73kg benchmark topweight for jumpers, and he will do the same at in the Hastings feature under regular hoop Shaun Fannin.
“He seems pretty good, he hasn’t had a run for a while but he’s working well, his weight is good and he’s well within himself,” Oulaghan said.
“We don’t have to do much with him because he’s naturally pretty fit and clean winded, so we just work away and don’t put any undue pressure on him, more just maintenance.
“Even though he hasn’t had a run, I think he’s right up to the mark.”
Berry The Cash has made a serious account of himself since winning the Grand National Hurdles (4200m) at Riccarton last August, putting 4-1/2 lengths on the field in the Awapuni Hurdle (3000m), and more than doubling that figure in the Waikato Hurdle (3200m) a fortnight ago.
The Jakkalberry seven-year-old will carry his highest allocated weight to date in 72.5kg in the Te Whangai Romney’s Hawke’s Bay Hurdle (3100m) in the hands of Portia Matthews.
“He was pretty good at Waikato, he had them pretty well covered,” Oulaghan said.
“I don’t think the heavy track will hold any worries for him, he likes bad ground, so he’s got a bit going for him on Saturday.
“Hopefully he can just go out and settle midfield, we’ll see how he’s going down the back the last time but liking the wet is an advantage.”
Oulaghan will be well-represented in the maiden jumping contests with Listed performer Semper Magico (NZ) (Per Incanto) having his jumping debut in the Birchleigh Polo Club Maiden Hurdle (3100m), and Kentucky Boy (NZ) (Jakkalberry) engaged in the I See Red Syndicate Maiden Steeplechase (4000m).
“Semper Magico jumped a little bit last year off and on, but that hasn’t been the concentrated focus. He does know how to jump though, and schools well,” Oulaghan said.
“I like to start them off on better ground, but it is the first race (of the day), and he handles the wet so he should be okay.
“Kentucky Boy won a hurdle on a heavy-ish track at Wanganui, then we backed him up at Hawera when the track was possibly a little good for him that day.
“Back to a heavy track, bigger fences and a bit further on Saturday should work out pretty well for him.”
A sole runner from Oulaghan’s stable will head down to Otaki on Friday in Jack Morrison (NZ), a son of Darci Brahma resuming off a 127-day break in the Riverstone Café Maiden (1400m).
“He’s quite a nice horse, he went reasonably well at the Levin jumpouts the other day so we’re expecting a reasonable sort of run fresh-up,” he said.
“It’s 1400m and he’s probably better off at a mile, but the track should be heavy anyway.”
Oulaghan is having his best season since 2012/13 with 17 winners and a personal best of $641,535 in domestic stakes earnings, a result he puts down to patience with his talented contingent.
“Obviously West Coast has been around for a while, but we had Berry The Cash last year and the year before getting him trialling and being patient with him, and he’s really come to it now,” he said.
“Some of the others like Super Spirit (last-start winner) have been around and just taken time to mature.”
