Ready Eddie repays faith in grand style
Jumps jockey Hamish McNeill’s faith in Ready Eddie has delivered him a Grand National Hurdles victory.
McNeill won the Sydenham Hurdles aboard Go Go Gonzo on Saturday by 8-1/2 lengths but turned down the ride to stick loyal to Ready Eddie ($10.30) and his trainer Laura Knight in the $75,000 Prestige Hospitality NZ Canterbury Grand National Hurdles (4200m) at Riccarton yesterday.
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,’’ she 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 this came from,’’ Knight said.
A Scottish native, McNeill arrived in New Zealand in the winter of 2014 but his opportunities have been limited by injuries.
‘‘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.
McNeill gave Ready Eddie a near perfect trip. He was happy to sit back on the fence as Go Go Gonzo and Revenge made the running up front on the heavy 11 surface.
By the 800m mark, McNeill and Ready Eddie started to look ominous as they snuck up the rail. Go Go Gonzo and Ready Eddie took the second last jump together but it was the Knight-trained runner who hit the front on landing.
Go Go Gonzo, trained by Sean Cameron, never gave up in a courageous run in the hands of Aaron Kuru. Local hope Delacroix stuck on to finish third, 1-1/4 lengths behind Go Go Gonzo.
The Energizer, who was having just his fourth hurdle start, put in a bold showing until falling at the final fence. Neither horse nor jockey Daniel Bothamley were injured in the fall.
Knight confirmed Ready Eddie’s season is over and he will head to the paddock with an eye to returning to Riccarton for the 2018 Grand National Carnival.
It has been a hugely successful couple of months for the couple with Ready Eddie’s victory following the Nickallstrained The Oysterman’s victory in the Awapuni Steeplechase in June.
Heavy drizzle fell for a short time earlier in the day, which proved to be an asset for Ready Eddie.
Grand National Hurdles favourite Kiddo finished back in fourth but yesterday was another successful day for his trainer Kevin Myers who has now won three of the six jumping races thanks to Yipson’s steeplechase win on Wednesday and he has the $2 favourite Blazing Opal for the Saturday’s Grand National Steeplechase.
In the hands of Stuart Higgins, Jackfrost, who was making his hurdles debut, beat home Newstead by nine lengths in the maiden hurdle.
By Gallant Guru out of Yamanin Vital mare Vital Note, the dashing grey, trained by Brian and Shane Anderton, is raced by the Frosty’s Shoutin The Beers Syndicate.
Yipson and Shaun Fannin were sixand-a-half length winners in the 0-1 win steeplechase.
The John Wheeler-trained Mendoza finished second with Paddy Owen, the only runner in the field who is scheduled to run in Saturday’s Grand National Steeplechase, was a further 3-1/4 lengths back in third.