Helena Baby has established himself as a serious horse to watch in the hurdling ranks this season and will start a path towards the Great Northern Hurdles (4200m) with a flat contest on Saturday at Te Rapa.
The eye-catching grey won two editions of the Listed Opunake Cup (1400m) and was placed at Group One level over 1400m before transitioning into the jumping distances effortlessly, going back-to-back at Te Aroha last month.
Set to contest his first feature a fortnight ago, the Wellington Hurdles (3200m), Helena Baby was ruled out after an unfortunate incident during trackwork.
“He was working out on the back track and treaded on another horse’s shoe, which drove the nails and clip into his foot,” trainer John Bell said.
“He was very tender for quite some time, so we lost all that work.”
Putting the setback behind him, the son of Guillotine will revert back to the flat this weekend, where apprentice Donovan Cooper will claim three kilograms off his 56kg allocated weight.
“He works up in a magnificent frame of mind every morning, he’s such an athlete and a stable favourite of course,” Bell said.
“One thing now is that he’s fresh and he is a sprinter, so look for the grey.”
Beyond Saturday’s contest, Bell has earmarked two lead-in runs before contesting the $150,000 hurdle feature at Te Rapa on September 15.
“He’ll go to Rotorua (August 18), Te Aroha (September 1) then onto the big race, the Northern,” he said.
The remainder of Bell’s contingent on Saturday includes Cleese, a horse he bred himself, running in the Taumarunui RSA Gold Cup (2200m). The Sweet Orange gelding finished well into third behind Wessex at Hastings over 1400m and steps up to a preferred staying trip in the feature.
“All good stayers have a good sprint in them and he had that down at Hastings,” Bell said.
“He’s worked on very well, he and Manawa worked up this morning together and were pleasing, so we’re hoping to get a positive run from both of them on Saturday.”
Stablemate Manawa will line up in the Bob & Colleen Donaldson Memorial (1600m), while impressive debut winner Twain will make his second appearance.
The son of Per Incanto powered away from his rivals at Tauranga earlier this month and will continue his association with apprentice Triston Moodley.
“He’s a very delicate, beautiful moving animal and we have to be careful with the tracks we place him on that won’t do any damage,” Bell said.
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