The Cossack reminded racegoers just what a class jumper he is when he strode away from his rivals carrying the topweight of 71.5kgs to capture the CLC Pakuranga Hunt Cup (4800m) at Te Rapa.
Given a blowout on the flat over 2200m at Rotorua on Tuesday, the Paul Nelson and Corrina McDougal-trained ten-year-old provided a complete exhibition in the art of steeplechasing as he loped along behind pacemaker Des De Jeu before rider Aaron Kuru, who made the trip from Australia for the mount, pushed the button at the 1000m and shot to the front.
Despite being chased hard in the closing stages by stablemate Raucous and the late-closing Donardo, the son of Mastercraftsman had the situation well in hand doing pacework to the winning post to score by more than five lengths.
Despite a minor glitch at the second-to-last fence, Kuru never felt his mount was in any trouble throughout the contest although he admitted it wasn’t an easy a ride as it appeared.
“He is probably not as straightforward as he looks on TV at times,” Kuru said.
“Today he was a different animal as he was on the bridle and travelling and I was confident a long way out.
“We hit the second last fairly hard but and I thought it might empty him out, but he just took off again which came as a bit of surprise.
“I was just flowing down to the last and after that he idled to the line although it would have been nice to have something chase us a little harder as he can tend to loaf a bit out on his own.”
Kuru is keen to return and ride The Cossack in the Great Northern Steeplechase (6400m) back at the venue on September 17, a race that Nelson confirmed was next on his agenda.
“That couldn’t be better could it,” Nelson said.
“We were a little worried having to run on Tuesday and then back up today, but it appears to have done him no harm.
“If we could win it (the Great Northern) it would complete the set for both him and us as we’ve never won it, with a runner-up the best I think we have done.”
The Cossack took his record to seventeen wins from 55 starts and over $596,000 in prizemoney. Thirteen of those victories have come over fences including races such as the Waikato Steeplechase (3900m), the Great Northern Hurdle (4200m) twice and Grand National Hurdles (4200m).
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