Mr Mor back to back
EVAN and J J Rayner readied Mr Mor for a hometown celebration and they didn’t let the Bogga Syndicate down.
Their jumper returned after his backto-back Hawke’s Bay Steeplechase win yesterday to jubilant birdcage celebrations.
His team of owners are predominantly from the Bay and they revelled in their 11-year-old’s repeat of his sweet 2015 success in the $50,000 prestige jumping race.
With a lap of the Hastings track to go in the 4800m contest, their wasn’t a lot of celebrating going on.
Jockey Michael Mitchell was hard at work on the Corrupt gelding as the leaders were cruising along loving their work.
‘‘It was hard work,’’ Mitchell said. ‘‘He was off the bit and was giving me a tough ride.
‘‘He kids you along a bit but he jumped beautifully.’’
One of the few who was calm as the race unfold was J J Rayner, daughter of co-trainer Evan.
‘‘We knew we had him fit and hard,’’ she said. ‘‘He really needed his last race and has improved heaps.
‘‘He’s always hard work for his jockeys but he just keeps going and going.’’
He will keep going all the way for Trentham for a double double in the Wellington Steeplechase which he also won last year.
‘‘Today’s win gives us plenty of confidence for Trentham,’’ she said.
‘‘He’s peaking now and he still thinks he’s a 2-year-old.’’
He has provided his owners with thrills galore from 10 wins and stake earnings exceeding $200,000.
Mitchell will be trying to cling to the ride which he gained due to regular rider Charlie Studd serving an ill-timed suspension.
Mitchell was part of a merry-goround of rider changes in the race.
After an action-packed maiden steeples in the prior race, Daniel Miller was on his feet but taken to hospital for observation and Mathew Gillies was battered and bruised. They relinquished their respective rides in the big race to Aaron Kuru on Brer and Isaac Lupton on Get Flash.
Mr Mor arrived on the scene late in the race to collar Brer once the last of 21 jumps had been negotiated.
Get Flash held third ahead of weakening pacemaker The Fox ridden by apprentice Emily Farr.
Farr was still buzzing from her win on Just Got Home in the day’s other prestige jumping race, the Hawke’s Bay Hurdle.
Just Got Home, trained by Rudy and Megan Liefting, like Mr Mor, notched up his 10th win and took his stakes earnings to nearly $250,000.
‘‘That was terrific and we were quite confident, though you can never obviously be 100 per cent sure in this game,’’ Megan Liefting said.
‘‘The weight was key. He hasn’t carried 67kg for a couple of years.’’
The 8-year-old is likely to make his next appearance in the Wellington Hurdles, a race he won in 2014.
Ooee, who led two fences from home, finished second with Wee Biskit making ground for third.