Northern to jump-start racing return
New Zealand’s greatest jumping race looks set to be the focal point of Ellerslie’s major re-launch of racing as trainers confirm they can work with the new dates for the iconic Great Northern Steeplechase.
The 6400m spectacular has been scheduled for Ellerslie on October 17 in the draft racing programme released by New Zealand Thoroughbred Racing yesterday, the same day at the group one Livamol Classic at Hastings.
That draft programme is open to submissions from industry participants and clubs before it is finalised and sent to the RITA dates committee to be included in the racing calendar for next season.
The October 17 meeting looms as one of the first mega days of the new season if the proposed calendar is adopted and Ellerslie bosses have confirmed they are still keen to have the iconic jumps carnival in October even though horses usually in training might have to start from scratch next week.
“We love the Great Northern but we also wanted to make sure, that with the interruption trainers have had, they could have horses ready by then,” said Ellerslie chief executive Paul Wilcox.
“So I put that to our racing committee and they are confident it will be a goer because it is still six months away.
“That committee will take advice from trainers but as of now we are confident the Great Northern will be able to go ahead and it provides us with a real opportunity.
“That date would be getting very close to when we usually launch our summer season and if we have the Great Northern the same day Hastings have the Livamol and some big races in Australia it could be a chance to for us have a really big re-launch of our racing.”
Wilcox, like most New Zealanders, is hoping the country will be back to an alert level 1 in a matter of months so crowds can return to racing and other events.
Leading jumps trainer Harvey Wilson, who trained the winner of both the Grand National Steeples and Great Northern Hurdles last year, says the country’s best jumpers will easily be ready for the 6400m challenge three times over the famed Ellerslie hill by October even after not racing until July.