Local galloper Jack Morrison(NZ) (Darci Brahma) has found his feet racing on the Awapuni Synthetic surface this campaign and the gelding will shoot for a fourth straight success in the McMillan Equine Feeds 2140 on Friday.
A five-year-old by Darci Brahma, Jack Morrison had failed to figure prominently in four starts on the turf and trainer Mark Oulaghan turned to the synthetic surface hoping that may be to his liking, which proved to be an understatement as he remains unbeaten in three attempts.
Typically a frontrunner, the gelding dictated terms in each of his winning efforts and fought off any challengers, a style likely to be seen again with Kate Hercock aboard in the Rating 75 contest.
“It was really an unknown (going to the synthetic), he showed that he could gallop but we tried him on the turf and his form was pretty average,” Oulaghan said.
“As a last resort, we thought we would give him a go on the poly and he’s really found his niche there.
“He’s the sort of horse that likes to be out in the open a bit, so the smaller fields suit him where he is able to race handy.
“When we were lining up in 12 and 14-horse maiden races, he wasn’t getting away from the barriers very well and was hesitant to get going.
“On the poly, he just goes out and we set him alight in front which seems to suit well.”
Oulaghan will have one other representative at the meeting in Miss Rosie, who has been knocking on the door to break maidens with a close-up second at her most recent start. With Chris Dell in the saddle, she will contest the Prydes Easifeed 2140 to kick off the meeting.
“She’s only a little thing, and she’s in the same boat where poly races seem to suit her as well,” he said.
Over the weekend, Oulaghan will turn his attention to a pair of runners at both the Te Rapa and Hawera meetings, with up-and-comer Kentucky Boy featuring in the Bridges Insurance Services Pakuranga Hunt Cup (4800m) at the former.
A comfortable maiden steeplechase winner at Hawke’s Bay, Kentucky Boy faced his first big test in the Wellington Steeplechase (5500m) in mid-July where he finished sixth.
“It doesn’t look an overly strong field so we’ll give him a go, it was a fair run in the Wellington Steeples but he’s probably got to improve a fraction off that,” Oulaghan said.
“Hopefully he can do so, if he could be finishing in the first three or four we’d be pretty happy.”
Semper Magico will take his place in the Savabeel 2100, reverting back from the hurdles after finishing fourth in the 0-1 contest at Riccarton earlier this month.
“I didn’t think the open handicap at Te Rapa was too strong, and after his run at Riccarton I thought we would drop him back to the flat and see where we are at with him,” Oulaghan said.
“We’ll make a decision after Saturday whether we go back to the hurdles or have a couple of runs on the flat.”
Closer to home at Hawera, stablemates Dal Kilchoan and Super Spirit will go head-to-head in the Heather D. Yaxley-Martinez 0-1 Steeplechase (3900m), with the former backing up from a strong effort for second in the open contest at Rotorua last Sunday.
“He went a good race at Rotorua and if he can do everything right he should be right there on ability, but he tends to mix his jumping a bit at times,” Oulaghan said.
“Super Spirit is just a young chaser coming through, he jumps nicely and his form is thereabouts so this sort of race would suit him at this stage.”
