Jumper of the year finalist High Forty won't be taking his usual route towards the Racecourse Hotel & Motor Lodge 142nd Grand National Steeplechase this year.
For the past three seasons, High Forty has tackled the feature steeplechase at Timaru as his leadup to the Koral Steeplechase and Grand National at Riccarton, winning in 2013 and last year and running second in 2014.
However, in a bid to manage hefty weights in steeplechases, Wingatui trainers Brian and Shane Anderton have opted to run High Forty in Friday's Maurice Smith Hurdles (3000m) at Phar Lap Raceway, in preference to the Equine Veterinary Services Steeplechase (4280m).
"We're just trying to look after his weights. He's just at a difficult place in the handicaps," Shane Anderton said.
"He's just getting crucified down here at the weights. We put him in a steeplechase at Riccarton and he got 76 and a half kilos. If we happened to win one, who knows what he'd end up with so it just makes sense to run in hurdle races at this time."
Anderton expects High Forty to be competitive at Timaru in what will serve as a pipe-opener for his return to steeplechasing in the NZI Koral Steeples (4250m) at Riccarton on August 6.
"He's thriving at the moment. He's going good races and getting a bit of prizemoney each time," Anderton said.
"He's doing everything right at the moment and this will have him tuned up a bit more for Riccarton, which we've got right in our sights again."
The nine-year-old won the Koral-Grand National Steeples double last year, earning him a nomination for jumper of the year at the annual New Zealand Thoroughbred Racing Awards.
The winner of that category, which also features Jack Romanov, Just Got Home and Sea King as finalists, will be announced at the awards ceremony in Auckland on August 7.
"Not many horses can claim to have had the season he's had and he's carried it right through. It's great to get that recognition," Anderton said.
The Andertons will produce five runners at Timaru, maiden So Gallant joined by jumpers High Forty and race rival Gold Leaf and maiden hurdlers Akal and News Flash.
"We've got KC Walters down here at the moment and he's keen to ride the jumpers. It gives you more incentive to keep going with the jumpers when you've got someone to ride them," Anderton said.
