Just weeks after Wingatui rider KC Walters made his debut over the jumps at Riverton, accomplished flat jockey Shankar Muniandy is joining his good mate Walters with a ride on Gold Leaf in the second of two restricted open hurdles at the Otago Racing Club meeting at Wingatui tomorrow.
Muniandy (29), who has won 183 races on the flat, had been schooling some jumpers for North Taieri trainers Brian and Shane Anderton, so he was a logical option for the Andertons when they had two runners for the race.
"I thought I'll give it a go - I've schooled them so I thought it won't be much different on race day,'' Muniandy said.
"I've schooled him off and on and galloped him. He's a good old jumper.''
Muniandy said he had been given plenty of advice from former jumps jockeys such as Terry and Peter Kennedy, and the Andertons, although he had avoided too much advice from Walters.
Gold Leaf made a decent fist of his first hurdles run since August last year, running fourth in the Great Western Hurdle last month.
"He ran a good fourth last start so I think he'll be a chance on Sunday.''
Muniandy could do worse than follow the example of Stuart Higgins, who is shooting for three straight wins aboard Revenge in the first of the restricted open hurdles.
Higgins (24) grew up in Norfolk in the east of England, and ended up in the racing industry after spending his formative years in eventing.
"A trainer asked me to ride one day and I said ‘why not' because at 16, it's not bad money,'' Higgins said.
"It is at 25, but at 16 it's not too bad. So I started riding out for her and I just got hooked.''
Higgins had about 50 point-to-point rides in England for three winners, but has hit the ground running - in the good sense - in New Zealand.
"I've had three rides and two of them winners so it's not a bad start.''
The two wins have been with Revenge, a horse Higgins first met during a working holiday at Riverton two years ago.
"I knew Revenge from last time I was here because I used to ride him, but this year he's improved massively.
"I don't know if he's strengthened, but he's just improved all round.''
Higgins will claim 3kg off Revenge, bringing the weight down to 65kg, which puts him right in contention again, even if Higgins has some minor concerns about the 7yr-old taking on Wingatui.
"I worry taking him away from Riverton because he's trained there, but in saying that, he will be the one to beat.''
Higgins has had just one other ride in New Zealand, aboard Confused in the Great Western Steeplechase.
Higgins parted ways with the Greg Wright-trained chaser at the water jump at Riverton, but was happy enough with the 9yr-old's jumping prior to that.
"I haven't seen him since then, but Greg tells me he's been in good form. There's only six in it, so if you stay on and get around, you'll probably get fourth. Someone else is bound to come off.''
Updates
Additional information for meetings today.-M2 Auckland RCScratchings:Race 7: Bugle CallRace 8: Irish Call, Lord And MasterWeather, fine; track, slow8; rail out 7mM4 Wanganui JCScratchings:Race 2: Divine ShivaRace 3: Better KeeperWeather, fine; track, slow9; rail, true
