Doubts over wet Trentham track
Upper Cut could be a threat to Sea King in the hurdles
Ameeting at 10.30am today will decide whether tomorrow’s Trentham major jumps meeting will go ahead.
Heavier rain than many Wellingtonians can remember has drenched Trentham and there are doubts about tomorrow.
One who is not confident is Palmerston North trainer Gail Temperton, who produces Hawke’s Bay Steeplechase winner Just Ishi in the $75,000 Grant Plumbing Wellington Steeplechase.
“In the 10 years we’ve been on this property I have never closed the southern door in the barn. I closed it this morning, that’s how shocking the weather from the South has been.”
There is a concern about the surface in the centre of the Trentham track where 90 per cent of the big steeplechase is run.
“I’ve never seen that before and I’ve been told this morning by those in the know that when the centre gets flooded it’s very slow to drain.”
Temperton says Just Ishi has absolutely thrived since winning at Hastings, but has fears about the very heavy track. “He has won on a heavy 11 surface at Trentham, but I would believe that track that day would not have been as heavy as it will be now.
“Gary [Walsh] galloped him this morning and said the horse was not happy in the wet ground. But he did say drop him back to steeplechasing speed and he feels a different horse.
“So, if they race we can only show up and see what happens.” Wise Men Say will be well suited by the conditions.
He is extremely dour, but can finish off and this race looks like developing into that type of event.
Raymond Connors says he is very happy with the chaser and expects him to be right in the finish.
Mr Mor had a setback before the Hawke’s Bay Steeplechase, which meant he went into that without having raced for six weeks. He was a distant fourth, but is certain to be a much fitter horse this time. The conditions this time will suit a lot better than the soft surface at Hastings.
Upper Cut handles heavy ground remarkably well and from the minimum weight of 65kg he could be a threat to topweight Sea King in the Wellington Hurdles. Sea King beat Upper Cut by three lengths when they met here two starts back and Sea King is 1kg worse off in the handicap this time.
Few can get a horse fit enough to plough through likely conditions than Upper Cut’s mentor Mark Oulaghan. Sea King has not won $720,000 because he’s an easy-beat and will be difficult to topple.