A dual-pronged attack on the Grand National Hurdles at Riccarton today could give a group of Dunedin-based racing enthusiasts their biggest thrill in racing.
Both The Energizer and Revenge will run in today's 128th running of the time-honoured 4200m feature for a group of both relatively new and longtime Otago racing enthusiasts, who make up the Trodmore Partnership No2.
Although the syndicate has enjoyed good previous success, if either of their Kelvin Tyler-trained jumpers could win today's feature it would undoubtedly be the owners' biggest highlight together, syndicate manager Charlotte Neilson said.
''Having The Energizer in the Grand National Hurdles, it is pretty exciting. Nothing really compares to that.''
Thehurdlers' tasks today have been made a little easier by the scratching of the defending champion Ngario.
The Kevin Myers-trained hurdler looked below his best form when beaten more than eight lengths behind winner Go Go Gonzo in Saturday's Sydenham Hurdles.
The withdrawal of Ngario has led to his rider, Shaun Fannin, jumping aboard stablemate Kiddo, who was rated at $3 in betting in yesterday's final-field market.
The Energizer was rated a $5.80 third-equal favourite alongside Delacroix and Heistheone, while Revenge was the outsider at 24-to-one odds.
The $3.90 second-favourite, Go Go Gonzo, gives Waiuku trainer Sean Cameron a chance to cap the 2017 edition of his annual autumn and winter campaign in the South.
The horse arrived in the South with Cameron's team in Aprilnot having won over fences and as a battling flat performer who had managed one placing in his last 14 races.
Cameron has revitalised his career by turning him to hurdling, in which he has racked up three wins and three placings in just seven starts.
He has gone from an emerging prospect to leading contender for one of the country's most iconic hurdle races with his win in the Syndenham Hurdles last Saturday.
''It was above my expectations, really. It was a bit scary the way he won,'' Cameron said yesterday.
''He's good as gold after the run. He's been out to the beach the last couple of days just to have a walk in the water to loosen up. If he's not fit now he'll never be fit.''
The only question mark the trainer had over Go Go Gonzo today was whether he would handle the 4200m staying test of the Grand National Hurdles, which was going to be a ''telling factor'', he said.
- Additional reporting by NZ Racing Desk
