The Cossack (Hamish McNeill) shadows Izymydaad After an action-packed renewal of Trentham’s feature jumps races last weekend, the scene is set for more of the same – and then some – at the Grand National Carnival.
The Grant Plumbing Wellington Steeplechase and the Metroclad Wellington Hurdles were missing two of jumps racing’s headline acts, the Mark Oulaghan-trained West Coast and Berry The Cash. All things being equal however, come Grand National Day at Riccarton Park on August 10, steeplechase stars The Cossack and West Coast and the two horses at the top of the hurdles tree, Berry The Cash and Nedwin, will go head-to-head in their respective $100,000 features.
West Coast and Berry The Cash were last sighted at Hastings three weeks ago, when the former suffered an unexpected defeat by Te Kahu in the Hawke’s Bay Steeplechase and his stablemate carried on his winning way in the Hawke’s Bay Hurdles.
They were both allowed a week in the paddock afterwards and Oulaghan has confirmed plans to start them both twice at Riccarton.
“They both did well during their break and are good to go,” the Awapuni trainer told RaceForm on Wednesday morning. “At this stage the plan is for West Coast to run in the Koral and the other horse in the Sydenham on the first day ahead of the Nationals.”
Oulaghan has recently unveiled another budding jumps star in his accomplished flat performer Semper Magico, who had gone down narrowly in his hurdle debut at Hastings and went one better with a comprehensive performance at Trentham on Saturday.
“He’s got the ability but we’ll take things steadily for now,” Oulaghan said. “I’d still like to take him down to Riccarton and probably run him in the one-win hurdle on the last day.”
In Oulaghan’s absence in the Trentham majors, the Hastings duo of Paul Nelson and Corrina McDougal stole the show as Nedwin and The Cossack added the Wellington Hurdles and Steeplechase to their massive haul.
In the hands of new English recruit Jay Kozaczek, having his very first ride in a Prestige Jumps Race, Nedwin carried clear topweight of 73 kilograms to his second win in the Wellington Hurdles. He had won the 2022 edition and has been the major contributor to the stable’s incomparable record in the race over the past decade. That began with The Shackler in 2017 and added to by the last five winners – No Tip in 2019, The Cossack in 2021 after Covid lockdown had ruled out the 2020 edition, and last year’s winner Suliman bracketed by dual winner Nedwin.
All told Nedwin has won 13 races – six on the flat and seven over brush – which also includes last year’s Great Northern and Waikato Hurdles. That tally meant carrying the maximum PJR weight of 73kg on Saturday, which even Nelson conceded might find him out versus stablemate Taika’s 66.5kg.
Nedwin had other ideas, knuckling down to the task and looming into the action at the top of the final straight. Once he asserted himself he had the race in safe keeping, scoring by a length and a quarter from I Am Invincible, with three-quarters of a length to Taki in third place.
Nedwin has an interesting background, one that illustrates what jumps racing has to offer horses that might otherwise have no future. He was bred and initially raced by Tom Lowry, who passed away recently at age 88, but lack of early ability saw him destined for a showjumping career.
That’s essentially how he ended up in the hands of Gisborne couple Mick and Suzie Gardner, initially competing at shows and then reviving his racing career. At the time Mick Gardner was honourary caretaker of the Poverty Bay Turf Club’s Makaraka racecourse and he conjured two wins from the Niagara gelding – the first of them at odds of nearly 60-to-one.
When he suffered a health setback Gardner deferred to his long-time friends Paul and Carol Nelson, who took over Nedwin’s training as well as a racing share. Gardner remains an active member of the partnership and is invariably Newdwin’s raceday strapper.
“It’s a good story, right back to being bred by Tom (Lowry) and now with the four of us having had so much fun with him,” says Nelson. “He became a more than handy horse on the flat and he’s just so tough, as we saw again on Saturday.”
Newcomer Jay Kozaczek has literally landed on his feet since arriving from the United Kingdom a matter of only weeks ago. On his first day’s race riding in New Zealand, at Te Aroha on June 27, he claimed his first win on Sound Of Silence and added another nine days later on Pacheco at Te Rapa.
“From day one I’ve been very fortunate with the rides I’ve had and now to win a race like this is beyond belief,” the lanky 23-year-old said after Nedwin’s victory. “It’s the best decision I’ve ever made to come to New Zealand, so here’s hoping it can keep going.”
Well established import Hamish McNeill has been Nedwin’s regular jumps rider but opted for his lighter weighted stablemate Taika. He received ample consolation three races later, however, when he combined with The Cossack in the Wellington Steeplechase.
Call it over-confidence or youthful enthusiasm, McNeill made the win an anxious watch over the final stages when he stood high in the irons to salute several strides before the line, allowing lightweight Auld Jock to cut the margin to half a length.
His actions weren’t wise, they cost him a $500 fine, and earned a terse reminder from Nelson that a repeat wouldn’t be tolerated.
Fair play to McNeill, he rode a well-judged race for all but the final few metres of the 5500m race and he can now look forward to the opportunity to add the Grand National Steeplechase to the rising 11-year-old’s fantastic record.
The Cossack’s 15th jumps win took Nelson back to his own very first major all of 37 years ago when Storm and amateur rider Sue Thompson combined in the 1987 Wellington Steeplechase. Saturday’s win was Nelson’s third in the race but his first at Trentham since Storm due to the 2017 edition won by Amanood Lad being staged at Hastings.
And for The Cossack’s part-owner Peter Grieve, who races the big gelding with his son Doug and fellow Hawke’s Bay enthusiast John Frizell, Saturday brought back memories of his very first Wellington Steeplechase in 1967 as a bystander witnessing the mighty southerner Kumai take the honours.
Post-Trentham reratings have The Cossack on 100, just one point below West Coast, which should mean a half-kilogram differential when, as we all hope, they meet in the Grand National. In hurdle ranking, Nedwin’s latest success took him to 98, putting him on a par with Berry The Cash.
The four horses mentioned above won’t necessarily have it all to themselves at Riccarton, with Te Kahu for one looming large along with the likes of Trentham runner-up Auld Jock having also established their presence.
