Counter Punch is attempting to emulate Deecee Seven, who won the Koral three years in succession from 1996. Deecee Seven was trained at Awapuni by Mark Oulaghan, who prepares Counter Punch.
Deecee Seven, ridden by Alex Cowan jun, carried 67.5kg, 5kg above the minimum in his third win when he prevailed by a neck over Redensky. Deecee Seven was then an 11yr-old. Brett Scott rode the Bandmaster gelding in his other two wins. Counter Punch is also 11.
Counter Punch has 68kg, 4kg above the minimum today. He carried 67kg, 3kg above the minimum when he won last year in the hands of Isaac Lupton. The same combination prevailed in the New Zealand Grand National Steeplechase a week later. Counter Punch has not raced in a steeplechase since that win carrying 66kg. Lupton has the mount today. Counter Punch had his other steeples win in the 2009 Homeby.
Tom Hazlett rode Counter Punch in his 2009 Koral win with 66kg. Hazlett also rode the Oulaghan-trained The Jolly Dancer to win the Koral in 2008 when the race was run on Wednesday, three days before the National. The first day of the meeting was abandoned that year due to the waterlogged track.
Counter Punch has had six races this winter - four on the flat and two over hurdles.
Jonathan Riddell, who has won the Koral on Any Questions (1999) and No Hero (2005), has the mount on Ho Down today.
Ho Down, a winner over country at Wanganui last week in his first attempt, is trained by Paul Nelson. He prepared No Hero.
Any Questions was trained by Sheryl Douglas (now McGlade), who has Karlos an outside chance in the race today.
Any Questions had won the Hawkes Bay Steeplechase and finished second to Tassenberg in the Inter-Island Steeplechase at Paeroa in lead-up races. Karlos has raced twice in steeplechases for a win at Ellerslie and a second in the Great Northern last winter. He won the Waikato Hurdles in May and has had a second and a third over hurdles this winter.
Karlos has a family record to uphold at Riccarton. His sire, Krona, won the 1988 New Zealand Two Thousand Guineas when owned and trained by Roger McGlade, husband of Sheryl. Just Jojo, the dam of Karlos, won the 1996 Grand National Steeplechase when trained by Douglas, who raced the Starjo mare with Nigel and Jen Morrison. She races Karlos with their estates.
Craig Grylls is not riding at Riccarton today due to influenza.
He had been engaged for Sherborne, Cape Fear, Victory Morgan and Sourire.
• Additional information for the meetings today:
Counties RC
Weather, fine; track, heavy (11), rail, out 6m.
Canterbury JC
Riders
Race 3: Sherborne - H Kasim.
Race 10: Sourire - M Coleman.
Scratchings
Race 6: Victory Morgan.
Race 8: Lido Shuffle.
Race 10: Lido Shuffle.
Weather, fine; track, slow (9); rail, true.
• New Zealand Thoroughbred Racing has announced finalists for the 2010-11 racing awards. They are:
Jumper: Counter Punch, Hypnotize, Joint Effort, Mr Align.
Two-year-old: Anabandana, Antonio Lombardo, Fort Lincoln.
Three-year-old: Jimmy Choux, King's Rose, Lion Tamer, Scarlett Lady, We Can Say It Now.
Sprinter (up to 1500m): Coup Align, Keep the Peace, Mufhasa, Wall Street.
Middle distance (1501m-2100m): Booming, Keep the Peace, Red Ruler, Wall Street.
Stayer (2101m plus): Bruce Almighty, Harris Tweed, Showcause, Titch.
