The product of Willow Glen Stud, near Waimate, faces his biggest challenge this season in today's 3100m test.
Kipkeino is an all Willow Glen product, by its former sire Sunray from Mike and Barbara Cooney's Gold Brose mare, Awesome Annie.
Waipukurau trainer Lucy de Lautour and her husband, Will, bought Kipkeino at the 2009 South Island mixed bloodstock sale for the bargain price of $5500.
He has gone on to compile a six-win flat-racing record and well as winning twice over hurdles.
The 9yr-old returns to Hastings - to the rescheduled Wellington Hurdles meeting that was to have been held at Trentham on Saturday - on the back of a big win in the Hawkes Bay Hurdles on July 1.
The runner-up in that race, Just Charlie, looms as a danger for Kipkeino with a 2kg weight turnaround between the pair.
Paul Nelson's progressive hurdler, The Shackler, is Kipkeino's biggest threat according to TAB bookmakers and opened a $2.90 favourite yesterday.
The Cooneys keep in contact with de Lautour and track the progress of Kipkeino.
''That was her first horse that she has trained . . . and she has gone on to buy another horse from John Bary that was from here called Havataste,'' Barbara Cooney said.
Havataste is also by Sunray, from the Honour And Glory mare Lets Celebrate, who looks like another jumper in the making. Z
The Cooneys are preparing for the coming breeding season and will stand resident stallions Pure Champion and Saperavi..
The stud has weaned 20 of Pure Champion's oldest crop of foals, which become yearlings on August 1, and they like what they see.
''They are lovely types,'' Cooney said.
''They are average size, good types with good legs, well-balanced foals. They seem to seem to have a good good brain on them, too.''
The stallion will stand his third season at stud. He covered 47 mares last breeding season.
Pure Champion won eight times in his jet-setting career during which he raced in Ireland, Great Britain, the United States, Hong Kong and New Zealand.
Saperavi will bring up his 10th year when he serves mares this spring.
The sire continues to leave horses that can win over a range of distances and is enjoying good success with his progeny in Asia, Cooney said.
Another former southern sire has a big hand in today's Hawke's Bay Steeplechase.
Former White Robe Lodge sire Yamanin Vital is represented by leading contenders Wise Men Say and The Oysterman, who will be out to down the early favourite, Just Ishi.
The sire also has Upper Cut in the Hawke's Bay Hurdles.
White Robe Lodge will also be represented in the event by Max, by Gallant Guru.
Trainer Kevin Myers has scratched accomplished jumper Sea King from the Wellington Hurdles..
Myers has decided to aim the 10yr-old at another Australian campaign, starting at Bendigo on Sunday in a 3600m hurdle race.
Safely through that the horse could then contest Australian features the Crisp Steeplechase and the Grand National Steeplechase.
