Few will travel further than Riverton steeplechaser-turned hurdler Adequacy.
Trainers Kelvin and Aimee Tyler have switched jumping capers with the 6yr-old, who has won two of his past three steeplechasing starts.
Adequacy will clash with some of the North Island’s best hurdlers in the Wellington Hurdles at Trentham tomorrow.
They include impressive recent winner Gallante.
The former Sydney Cup winner showed he was a hurdling star on the rise with a emphatic 12-length victory in his last start in the Awapuni Hurdles.
The Team Rogerson-trained 8yr-old clashes with another impressive hurdler in Bad Boy Brown. The Harvey Wilsontrained 7yr-old has looked well above average in winning three of his four hurdle starts.
Bad Boy Brown goes in to tomorrow’s 3400m feature one up on Gallante.
Bad Boy Brown beat Gallante when they clashed in a 2500m open hurdle at Trentham late last month.
Bad Boy Brown conceded a 1kg weight advantage to his rival in that race, but is much better off tomorrow. In a 3kg turn around, Bad Boy Brown will carry 65kgs and Gallante will carry 67kgs.
Neither horse contested the North Island’s most recent feature hurdle event, the Hawke’s Bay Hurdles.
Laekeeper, who carries the top weight of 68kg, finished best of the horses contesting tomorrow’s Wellington Hurdles when he finished third.
The race was Laekeeper’s first hurdling start this season, and he should strip a fitter horse tomorrow.
Gallante opened the $2.50 favourite for the race ahead of Bad Boy Brown at $4 and Laekeeper at $4.20.
Hawke’s Bay Steeplechase quinella pairing Perry Mason and Chocolate Fish will square off again in tomorrow’s Wellington Steeplechase.
A 2.5kg weight advantage helped Perry Mason to a two length victory over his rival in last month’s event at Hastings.
The pair will meet at level weights on 67.5kg in tomorrow’s 5500m feature.
Otago-bred 9yr-old Wise Men Say battled into sixth placing in the Hawke’s Bay Hurdle. That was largely due to the horse jumping poorly.
Trainer Raymond Conners said he was hopeful Wise Men Say could put that performance behind him when he defends his race crown in tomorrow’s event.
‘‘Hopefully he has put it past him now and he’ll jump well on Saturday,’’ he told NZ Racing News.
‘‘The distance will suit him better, they won’t go quite as quick.’’
An improved run would boost Wise Men Say’s stocks ahead of next month’s Grand National Steeplechase.
South Island and North Island steeplechasers will clash in today’s restricted open event at Timaru.
Delacroix opened the favourite for the 4280m at microscopic $1.40 odds.
The John and Karen Parsons trained 9yr-old won his last steeplechasing start at Timaru by 11 and a-half lengths.
Talented northern hurdler Zentangle will have the first South Island start of his campaign in today’s restricted open hurdle at Timaru.
The Kevin Myers-trained 7yrold won his only hurdle start this season.
