Mr Mor set for steeplechase swansong
Colin De Filippi joined one of New Zealand's racing most exclusive clubs at Addington last night. His win behind Izmok in race three was his 2000th driving success in New Zealand, joining Tony Herlihy, Maurice McKendry, Ricky May, David Butcher and recently Dexter Dunn as the only drivers to achieve it. Appropriately Izmok is trained by De Filippi in partnership with his wife Julie. De Filippi is best known as the trainer and driver of NZ Cup winner Kym's Girl, millionaire trotter Stent and the driver of the late champion pacer Courage Under Fire. The Matamata meeting scheduled for next Wednesday has been cancelled due to a lack of entries. At the closing of nominations, 38 horses had been entered for the fixture with the prospect of getting sufficient numbers to hold even a restricted meeting unlikely. NZ Thoroughbred Racing will look to add or divide races to northern meetings in the near future. Meanwhile, following an inspection of the Cambridge track yesterday the trial meeting scheduled for next Tuesday has also been cancelled. A bold showing from Inca Warrior today will earn him a return visit to the central districts. The Byerley Parkprepared three- year- old’s first away goal is the Listed H. S. Dyke Wanganui Guineas with trainer Steven Cole keen on another road trip next month. “As long as he runs up to expectations at Wanganui he’ll go back down for the Hawke’s Bay Guineas,” he said. Emotions will ride high for Whanganui trainer Evan Rayner this weekend as he prepares for stable stalwart Mr Mor’s swansong and as the trainer of sprinter of the year favourite Start Wondering.
Rayner will watch Mr Mor’s lastditch attempt to win the Irvines Great Northern Steeplechase ( 6400m) at Ellerslie today from Whanganui, where he will saddle Taurus, a contender for the Coro Angel Syndicate 1200.
Then he will fly to Auckland tomorrow with connections of Gr. 1 Railway Stakes and Gr. 1 NRM Sprint winner Start Wondering for the New Zealand Thoroughbred Racing Awards at the Langham Hotel that evening.
“I’d like to think he’s a good chance of winning, but I’m not getting ahead of myself,” Rayner said of the champion sprinter category.
Rayner, who trains in partnership with his daughter J J, revealed the Great Northern was likely to be Mr Mor’s final race before retirement, with only a slight chance the Corrupt 13- year- old gelding could contest the steeplechase at Te Aroha on October 1 afterwards.
“It’s his last shot at a big one anyway. He’s been a great horse for us. He’s owned in Hawke’s Bay and winning the Hawke’s Bay Steeples twice was as good as anything, though the Wellington Steeples win was a bit special,” Rayner said.
“He’s done everything right going into the Northern, but it’s going to be a very heavy, testing track and that might find him out a bit. But it’s his last go and he deserves his shot.
“A lot depends on him. He’s a horse you’ve got to keep niggling at. You can’t just go for him in the last few furlongs and expect him to pick up and dash home.”
The Northern will be Mr Mor’s 102nd start, having won 10 races and just shy of $ 250,000. He has won five of his 30 steeplechases, banking just on $ 200,000 in that role.
“He was bred and owned by a good mate of mine from our rodeo days, Brian Denton. He died and that’s when the syndicate was set up. It’s called the Bogga Syndicate because that was what Brian was known as.”
Rayner was upbeat about Taurus’ chances in the open sprint at Wanganui, where he clashes with the likes of Scapolo, North And South and Mighty Solomon.
“He freshened up nicely after Christchurch and won really well at New Plymouth the other day. He worked really well going into that race and he’s worked well again this week so the signs are good. I expect a good run from him.”
Stormin Norman i s in fine shape ahead of his second crack at the Schweppes Great Northern Hurdle at Ellerslie today.
“He came through his run at Te Aroha last Sunday in great shape and i s ready to go for the Northern,” trainer John Wheeler said.
“I brought him back from Australia specifically for this race and I think he is in with a shout. He went a beauty in his last race in Aussie and with a better ride would have run in the money. He’s tough and if he strikes a loose track on Saturday he will be a chance.”
Stormin Norman finished fifth in the 2014 edition of the race before suffering an injury that kept him off the scene for just on 18 months.
He will be ridden by Shaun Fannin. Fine and the track fast.