Top hurdler Berry The Cash showed up at Waverley on Sunday to have a final preparatory run ahead of Saturday’s Avon City Ford Sydenham Hurdles (3100m), but that didn’t stop him from powering to victory in the Rating 75 2200m event.
Fans of Berry The Cash had every faith in the gelding despite him reverting back to the flat after winning the Hawke’s Bay Hurdles (3100m) at his most recent start, backing him into $3.40 favouritism ahead of So Call Me ($3.70).
Apprentice jockey Jessica Allen allowed her mount to settle comfortably midfield off the rail and tracked the widest turning for home, where his staying prowess shone through bounding down the outside to score over Moonlight Hustler.
“He’s a good galloper and his strong point is he stays really well,” trainer Mark Oulaghan said.
“He grinds away over that last 200 metres and seems to be able to get past a few horses.”
The win was Berry The Cash’s fifth on the bounce, while it also marked Allen’s 40th winner in the saddle after picking up wins aboard Martell and Electric Time during the week, decreasing her claim to two kilograms.
Berry The Cash has set the bar high for his rivals since winning last year’s Hospitality New Zealand Grand National Hurdles (4200m), and all going to plan, he will line-up as the horse to beat in the iconic feature the following Saturday.
“He’ll run both Saturdays, they’ll head down early this week and he’s pretty fit and up to the mark,” Oulaghan said.
“He’ll do a bit of quiet work down there so it’s just a matter of getting him to Riccarton.”
The son of Jakkalberry will be joined by his equally impressive stablemate West Coast, who travels to Christchurch in pursuit of a record-breaking third-straight Racecourse Hotel & Motor Lodge 149th Grand National Steeplechase (5600m).
Oulaghan indicated West Coast will start in the Racecourse Hotel & Motor Lodge Koral Steeplechase (4250m) on the opening Saturday, after he had a satisfactory final hit-out in the maiden staying contest at Waverley.
“The speed has probably gone out of him after a few steeplechase runs, it seems to take the edge off them as far as flat racing goes,” Oulaghan said.
“He’s pulled up well, he was running around his paddock this morning so he’s obviously happy enough and we’re pleased with his condition.”
Winning last year’s event, West Coast continued Oulaghan’s phenomenal record in the Grand National Steeplechase joining fellow dual-winners from the stable in Deecee Seven, Counter Punch and Upper Cut.
“We’ve concentrated more so on the National than the Northern in the past, which has probably given us a bit of an advantage,” Oulaghan said.
“It’s a good course down there with nice jumps and we’ve gotten some reasonable sorts of results.”
Oulaghan had initially planned to take both Semper Magico and Jack Morrison to Riccarton as well, however, the latter curtailed his travel plans in fortunate circumstances after picking up back-to-back victories on the Awapuni Synthetic on Thursday.
“He stuck on well and showed a bit of fight at the finish which is always encouraging,” Oulaghan said.
“We were going to take him down and run him on the middle day on the synthetic, but he got a few more points than I had expected and he’ll be out of his grade, so he’ll stay at home.
“We’ll probably just take those two and Semper Magico now.”