Danza Lad continues to be a stern test of Rudy Liefting’s training skills.
While the eight-year-old has won 10 races on the flat and two over hurdles, his form in between times has been a source of frustration to the Pukekohe Park conditioner.
“He’s been a bit of a training test and you have to keep entertaining him mentally and keep him fresh.
“He also has to be ridden a certain way, he doesn’t like being cluttered up on the fence.”Danza Lad has put together two genuine runs this month, having won a hurdle race at Te Rapa – where the subsequent Waikato Hurdles winner Thenamesbond ran third – and he was then placed in an open handicap.
“They have been good, but three starts back he was a lonely last at Awapuni,” Liefting said. “Sometimes he’s just not interested and doesn’t try.”Danza Lad will revert to the jumps at his next appearance in the K.S. Browne Hurdle at Ellerslie on Queen’s Birthday Monday.
“I want to have a go at a decent money race,” Liefting said. “You don’t mind them getting to the higher weights as long as they get some good money on the way through.”Meanwhile, stablemate Just Got Home’s position at the top of the handicap in hurdle contests will see him switch to the bigger fences in either the McGregor Grant Steeplechase or the maiden steeplechase at Ellerslie.
“He’s up in the weights and his jumping has been letting him down,” Liefting said. “It used to be his strong point so we’re going to steeplechase him.“We’ll look at the options with him and give him a few here and maybe let him finish up in Australia.”
