The Big Opal puts on masterclass

Jumps racing is a fickle business.

In contrast to the understandable furore after Ellerslie on Queen’s Birthday Monday, 23 jumpers negotiated Trentham yesterday without any of the horses falling..

Starters in their three respective races jumped crisply and cleanly to complete their races, the solitary minor incident occurred when inexperienced rider Hana Bognuda slipped off Goosebumps late in the steeplechase. Horse and rider were unscathed. At Ellerslie in three separate races, horses crashed and sadly, three jumpers suffered injuries and were euthanised.

The incidents sparked calls from animal rights group Safe to ban jumps racing.

However, industry experts maintained events were unusual and racing organisations worked hard to mitigate risks to horses and riders.

Clearly that was the case at Trentham with patrons and participants enjoying three spectacular jumps races.

The powerful Kevin Myers stable had runners in all three Trentham jumping races but had to wait for the third on the day to score a win.

It was worth the wait as The Big Opal put on a dashing display to annihilate his opposition in the restricted open steeplechase around 4000m of the spectacular figure-eight course.

In the hands of Shaun Fannin, the leading light among early winter jumps jockeys, The Big Opal ran his rivals ragged as he set a solid pace and flew his fences.

He chanced a couple of his fences due mainly to over enthusiasm and the major winter steeplechase races beckon.

‘‘It was the first time he had tried the live fences and he liked them,’’ Fannin said.

‘‘I knew if I got a break on them he would be hard to catch.

‘‘I heard Crash Bandicoot [stablemate] coming but we managed to hold him out.’’

Justa Charlie won the maiden hurdle for trainer Harvey Wilson and jockey Daniel Miller while the successful combination of Hastings trainer Paul Nelson and jockey Aaron Kuru won the restricted open hurdles with Ooee.

‘‘I had it in the back of my mind to go for the Hawke’s Bay Hurdles after this,’’ Nelson said.

‘‘I see no reason to change my thinking.’’

Meanwhile, punters came from all points of the compass to back North And South.

Devoid of luck at her previous start, North And South turned her fortunes around in the $30,000 open 1200.

The $2.90 favourite collared the leader Miss Appleton at the 300m mark and powered clear to beat Mighty Matt in second place with Miss Appleton third.

The Go Racing Snow Leopard Syndicate-owned mare, trained by Lisa Latta is likely to head to the Opunake Cup in July.

‘‘It was a good ride by Robbie,’’ Latta said.

‘‘Everyone wanted to come very wide. Robbie said to me before the race that if they all went wide, he would just cut the corner and come through inside them.

‘‘It worked out perfectly.’’