Jumpers from the Paul Nelson and Corrina McDougal stable preparing for Sunday’s Great Northern meeting at Te Rapa were given a searching workout at today’s Hastings jumpouts.
There were 13 heats run on the course proper, with the markers out about eight metres and the track providing good footing.
Star jumpers The Cossack, Nedwin, Taika and Raucous were among six horses that contested the 2200m heat and they all worked strongly. Taika was ridden out by amateur jockey Sameer Mohammed to win by 2-3/4 lengths from The Cossack (Kate Hercock), with Nedwin (Sue Thompson) finishing third. Raucous was not far away in fourth place.
All four horses pulled up well after the workout and co-trainer Paul Nelson is pleased with the condition of all four as they head to Te Rapa.
Australian-based jockey Aaron Kuru is returning to team up again with The Cossack in the Great Northern Steeplechase (6400m) and Nedwin in the Great Northern Hurdles (4200m) while Jack Power will be aboard Raucous in the Great Northern Steeples and Taika in the Great Northern Hurdles.
Others to impress at the jumpouts were Respond, Bellesgirl, Shezzacatch and Mr Bully Tee.
Respond scored a decisive win in a 1000m heat, dashing clear in the final stages to win by 1-3/4 lengths and record a good time of 1:02.81s. She is a three-year-old filly by Proisir in the Mick Brown and Sue Thompson stable.
Bellesgirl, another in the Thompson/Brown stable, clocked the fastest time of the 1000m heats when winning by 1-1/2 lengths in 1:01.90. She is likely to resume from a lengthy spell in a Rating 60 race over 1200m at Woodville on Thursday of next week.
Shezzacatch and Mr Bully Tee fought out the finish of the open 1000m heat, with Shezzacatch winning by half a length and clocking a respectable 1:02.69. Both horses look to be coming up well in their new campaigns and could resume on the second day of the Colliers Hawke’s Bay Spring Carnival, on September 30.
RESULTS
Heat 1, 400m: Daily At Dawn (M Stowe) 11, Debbi Harri 2, Preferment 2yr-old filly 3. Four starters. Margins: Long head, 7 lengths. Time: 25.00s. Winner trained by John Bary, Hastings.
Heat 2, 400m: Heroic Valour 2yr-old colt (S Mohammed) 1, Vadamos 2yr-old filly 2, Green Serenade 3. Five starters. Margins: Head, ½ length. Time: 25.72s. Winner trained by Guy Lowry, Hastings.
Heat 3, 2200m: Taika (S Mohammed) 1, The Cossack 2, Nedwin 3. Six starters. Margins: 2-3/4 lengths, 3 lengths. Time: 2:25.50. Winner trained by Paul Nelson & Corrina McDougal, Hastings.
Heat 4, 750m: Malcon (N Sutherland) 1, Zalass 2, I Am Jazz 3. Four starters. Margins: 3-1/2 lengths, 2 lengths. Time: 46.44s. Winner trained by Vicki Wilson, Hastings.
Heat 5, 750m: Written Up (M Hudson) 1, Time Test 3yr-old gelding 2, Marlin 3. Five starters. Margins: 1-1/4 lengths, 3-1/2 lengths. Time: 45.84s. Winner trained by Dean Howard, Hastings.
Heat 6, 750m: Sol de Otono (J Chung) 1, Per Incanto 3yr-old gelding 2, Elapse 3. Four starters. Margins: ½ head, 2-3/4 lengths. Time: 47.56s. Winner trained by Guy Lowry, Hastings.
Heat 7, 750m: Speak Easy (J Chung) 1, Falcons 2, Falcons Diamond 3. Four starters. Margins: 1-1/4 lengths, ½ neck. Time: 46.88s. Winner trained by Guy Lowry, Hastings.
Heat 8, 1000m: Respond (K Hercock) 1, Go Baby Go 2, Wickham 3. Five starters. Margins: 1-3/4 lengths, 2-3/4 lengths. Time: 1:02.81. Winner trained by Mick Brown & Sue Thompson, Hastings.
Heat 9, 1000m: Redwood 3yr-old gelding (K Hercock) 1, Iffidapunt 2, Courvoisier 3. Four starters. Margins: ¾ length, 1-1/4 lengths. Time: 1:02.16. Winner trained by Patrick Campbell, Hastings.
Heat 10, 1000m: Bellesgirl (K Hercock) 1, Cosmic Star 2, Herself 3. Five starters. Margins: 1-1/2 lengths, 2 lengths. Time: 1:01.90. Winner trained by Mick Brown & Sue Thompson, Hastings.
Heat 11, 1000m: Shezzacatch (J Chung) 1, Mr Bully Tee 2, Scutar 3. Four starters. Margins: ½ length, 3-1/2 lengths. Time: 1:02.69. Winner trained by Guy Lowry, Hastings.
Heat 12, 1200m: Freebee (J Chung) 1, Rip Wheeler 2, Falcon Falcon 3. Three starters. Margins: Long head, 2-3/4 lengths. Time: 1:14.25. Winner trained by Mick Brown & Sue Thompson, Hastings.
Heat 13, 1400m: Chairman (K Hercock) 1, Red Grande 2, Double Dee 3. Three starters. Margins: Long neck, 5 lengths. Time: 1:28.82. Winner trained by Guy Lowry, Hastings.