Oulaghan to make his mark
He has to give weight to some quite promising horses but I think he’s a pretty good show.
Mark Oulaghan
MARK OULAGHAN might move out of the wings and on to centre stage at Riccarton today.
Oulaghan, so often a dominant figure at the national meetings, won a maiden race on Wednesday but has had a comparatively lowkey week.
That might change this afternoon, when the Awapuni trainer will produce leading chances for the two feature races.
Brushman is a $3.60 favourite for the $70,000 Grand National Steeplechase and his stablemate Rising Tide shares the second line, at $4.60, for the $40,000 Winter Classic (1800m).
Brushman failed at last year’s national meeting and has shown his best form over the figure-eight course at Trentham. He has had two wins and a second in the Wellington Steeplechase and has never been unplaced from five starts over the Trentham country.
However, punters should be wary of assuming that the 11-yearold is one-trick pony. He has won over country at Awapuni, albeit as a maiden, and been placed in the Manawatu Steeplechase and also ran third in the 2010 Pakuranga Hunt Cup.
He was disappointing at Riccarton a year ago but, for no obvious reason, raced below his best last winter.
In addition, Oulaghan has kept Brushman on the fresh side for his races this year. Brushman’s two Wellington Steeplechase wins and his Pakuranga Hunt placing all came after a break of five weeks from his previous start.
In contrast to most jumpers, he has been less effective when backing up with just a week or a fortnight between races.
As a result, today’s race will be Brushman’s first for a month, while most of his rivals have run within the past week.
“He has worked up well and I think he’s pretty good condition-wise,” said Oulaghan, who has already won the Grand National Steeplechase four times.
“He has to give weight to some quite promising horses but I think he’s a pretty good show.”
Rising Tide is also a fresh runner to the meeting, after finish- ing a creditable sixth in the Taumarunui Cup at his last start. Rising Tide made ground late at Te Rapa, to be just a length and a half from Intransigent.
Intransigent will be a rival again today but will carry 59kg, after winning with 54.5kg at Te Rapa, and will meet Rising Tide 1.5kg worse off in the weights.
Oulaghan would prefer to see some rain for Rising Tide, with the track expected to be very holding, and is concerned the horse disappointed at his one previous start on the track, at the 2011 national meeting. “I think he would be better on a looser track but they all have to run on it.”
Oulaghan’s other runners today will be Derby Dan in the 0-1 win hurdle and Golden Miss in the rating 85 1600m.
Golden Miss, who was at $6.50 last night, meets a strong field but overcame a slow start to finish second over 1400m on the first day.
Derby Dan was the runner-up to subsequent National Hurdles winner Mahanadi at Trentham last month but did not show the same dash when making ground late for third in a maiden hurdle on Wednesday.
Rising Tide has a new rider today. Regular jockey Lisa Allpress is riding riding in England this weekend, before taking up a three-month contract in Singapore, and has been replaced by Jonathan Riddell.
Riddell, like Oulaghan, has genuine winning chances in the two feature races.
Riddell will seek a fourth National Steeplechase win when Waitaha Toa backs up from Wednesday’s National Hurdles.
Waitaha Toa was one-paced when finishing third, beaten 18 lengths, in the hurdles but has a bit in his favour today.
He drops to the minimum, after carrying 68kg in the hurdles, and might now be better suited to the bigger fences.
He has had only one previous start over country, winning a maiden steeplechase at Whanganui three years ago, but Riddell encouraged the horse’s connections to have a crack at the double this week.
“I’ve always thought he would be a better ‘chaser,” Riddell said yesterday.
“He’s got a good cruising speed and jumps really well. I will probably try to settle him back a bit, get him to relax and then try to come into it.
“The drop in the weight will help but while I was the one who pushed for him to start in both races, it’s still quite a big ask.
“I was a bit disappointed with his run the other day but was probably being a bit harsh.
“He has still run second in the Wellington Hurdles and third in the National at his last two starts.”