"She hasn't missed a trick. She had two or three days off after the National [August 11] and then started light duties again," Allan Stalker, her Mossburn owner-trainer, said.
A good part of those duties is working with sheep and cattle on the Stalker farm.
"She just loves working stock and is keeping fit and enjoying it," Stalker said.
Stalker travelled to Christchurch later in the day with Joint Effort. He will travel to Otaki today and on to Pukekohe tomorrow.
Joint Effort has had trips to the North Island for flat races in 2007 (at Trentham) and 2008 (Foxton) but she was unplaced.
Stalker raced Cut `N' Dry in the Rotorua and Taumarunui Cups in 2004. She ran fifth at Rotorua.
Matthew Cropp, who rode Joint Effort in the Grand National Hurdles, is enthusiastic about her chance at Ellerslie.
"She just loves that wet ground," he said.
The mare Midnight Opal won the Northern Hurdles in 2005.
Cropp was at Oamaru yesterday to ride High Seas in a maiden hurdles. He gained the mount on Kidunot in the open hurdles. Kidunot, winner of the Northern Hurdles last year, ran on for third, six and a-half lengths behind the winner, Cheap Date.
Kidunot was making the switch from steeplechasing after a fall in the Grand National at his previous start.
"We will take him to Timaru for a steeplechase in a fortnight and if it does not get off the ground, he will race in the hurdles," Ellis Winsloe, his trainer, said.
Cropp rode Kidunot yesterday after it was resolved among trainers Winsloe and Murray Hamilton that Daniel Bothamley take the mount on Magic Man in the hurdles. Bothamley then chose not to ride Magic Man and he was replaced by Richard Cully.
Bothamley was subsequently charged with wilfully breaking a riding engagement. He was suspended for three riding days.
Winsloe saddled Ballaphun, ridden by Bothamley, to win a maiden hurdles yesterday. The 9yr-old was having his first start over fences after joining Winsloe for jumping last season.
Hen Joppa, who was transferred to Timaru trainer David Hutton after her previous start on August 1 for Ben and Sally Gordon, cleared maiden ranks yesterday.
• Casey Lunn rode her first winner aboard Lotus yesterday.
Lunn (23) has been riding horses since she was 10 but it was not until 10 months ago that settled on a career as a jockey.
"I had stopped growing and just felt it was meant to be," Lunn said.
It was her third ride since she began race riding at Ashburton five days earlier.
Lunn is apprenticed to Paul Harris, the trainer of Lotus.
She made the pace on Lotus, who held on by a neck.
