Eddie’s Grand National
Jumps jockey Hamish McNeill’s faith in Ready Eddie has delivered him a Grand National Hurdles victory.
McNeill won Saturday’s Sydenham Hurdles aboard Go Go Gonzo by eight and a half lengths but turned down the ride to stick loyal to Ready Eddie ($10.30) and his trainer Laura Knight in the Grand National Hurdles (4200m) at Riccarton.
His faith was rewarded when Ready Eddie, raced by Knight and her father – former All Black prop Gary Knight – beat home Go Go Gonzo by three quarters of a length to win the 128th running of the race.
Knight and partner Stephen Nickalls train under their own identities on paper but work together from their Awapuni base.
‘‘That was probably my biggest stress coming into today was that Hamish has stuck with us when he could have ridden Go Go Gonzo and I didn’t want to let Hamish down so I’m so grateful that he got it,’’ Knight said.
An emotional Knight struggled to put the Grand National Hurdles victory into words. ‘‘We’ll never forget today.’’ ‘‘He’s a very cool horse. He tries so hard, we’re very proud of him,’’ she said.
Ready Eddie was third in the race last year and won a 0-1 win hurdle on the final day of the carnival in 2015.
‘‘This all started when I was coming down here with Mark Oulaghan when I worked for him. They won the (Grand) National with Counter Punch (2007) and that’s where the thrill of trying to win something like from,’’ Knight said.
A Scottish native, McNeill arrived in New Zealand in the winter of 2014 but his opportunities this came have been limited by injuries.
‘‘I’m on cloud nine right now,’’ McNeill said. ‘‘This is what dreams are made of. It’s been a hard couple of years for me with injuries so I’ve got to thank Stephen and Laura for preparing the horse so well to give me this,’’ McNeill said.
It has been a hugely successful couple of months for the couple with Ready Eddie’s victory following on from the Nickalls-trained The Oysterman’s victory in the Awapuni Steeplechase in June.