Pair on target for National campaigns

TWO of the South Island’s most talented jumpers combined for a superb display at Timaru yesterday.

The Grand Nationalbound pair of Tai Ho and Jackfrost added wins to their strong jumping records for rider Stuart Higgins.

Grand National Hurdles contender Jackfrost put a frustrating run behind him when winning yesterday’s open hurdle.

The Brian and Shane Andertontrained 7yrold has had a stopstart beginning to his jumping campaign.

It came to a halt when he could not get sufficient racing room in his most recent start in the Otago Hurdles.

‘‘He never really got a run last time. He was stuck down on the fence and never got a crack,’’ rider Stuart Higgins said.

Tai Ho justified the faith punters instilled in him when winning yesterday’s open steeplechase at $1.90 odds.

Trainer Ellis Winsloe wanted the horse ridden patiently and Higgins stalked the leaders before launching Tai Ho for his winning run before the home turn.

The 7yrold went on to win his third steeplechase in his ninth start over bigger fences by an impressive 61⁄2 lengths.

‘’I was really happy with Tai Ho and you can’t be anything but happy when they win like that,’’ Higgins said.

The race further solidified Tai Ho’s campaign towards this year’s Grand National Steeplechase.

Point Proven won his first hurdle race in just his second attempt in yesterday’s maiden hurdle.

The Greg Wrighttrained jumper ran second behind Speedy Jax earlier this month after campaigning in the North Island.

Successful Wingatui horseman Shaun McGarry died on Wednesday.

McGarry was a multiple group racewinning trainer and had an encyclopaedic knowledge of horse pedigrees.

That knowledge helped him breed several horses who won in New Zealand and overseas.

McGarry was a highly successful trainer who won Wingatui’s premier race, the group 3 White Robe Lodge Handicap, three times.

Mary Josephine (1997), Rhu Lynch (1999) and Jaggard (2012) all scored wins in the race as 4yrolds.

McGarry’s horses were known to have a brilliant record on their home track.

St Bernhard, Red Card and Double Card were other talented horses trained by the horseman.