Trainer Stephen Ralph is more hopeful than confident that jumper Thenamesbond can extend his winning record at Te Aroha on Wednesday.
The 10-year-old has an impressive record at the venue, having won 10 races at Te Aroha and will be back at his favourite course when contesting the Knottingly Farm Steeplechase (3500m) where he will lump top-weight of 71kg.
Thenamesbond has won his last two starts with Grand National Hurdles-winning jockey Stuart Higgins aboard, the latest win at Te Aroha last month when beating Notabadrooster. But Ralph isn’t expecting the gelding to extend the winning sequence on Wednesday.“I’d be surprised if he won it,” Ralph said. “He’ll need the run because he hasn’t run for a while. He’ll try, as he usually does, but could be struggling the last bit.
“He’s pretty big and missed some work. He banged his back leg in his jumping and we’ve treated his fetlock joint. That’s why I couldn’t give him a flat run going into this one.“Whatever he does on Wednesday, he’ll improve on for the Pakuranga Hunt Cup then the Great Northern.”
Ralph has also had his problems with stablemate Hesalljazz since he lost his rider in the Hawke’s Bay Hurdle (3100m) at Hastings on June 30.The nine-year-old will contest the Graham Lemon, Murray Darroch, Optimism Synd Hurdles (3100m) with Lemmy Douglas to ride.
“He was sore after Hawke’s Bay and had 19 days in the box,” Ralph said. “He’s had a nightmare of a year. He got cast in his box in mid-March and we nearly lost him.“He’s right again now and he’s had the couple of flat runs so should be right to run at the Pakuranga meeting. I’m really excited about him. He’s going to win a big race.”
The winner of five flat races, Hesalljazz won the maiden hurdles at Wednesday’s corresponding meeting 12 months ago and he was second to the smart jumper Laekeeper before his mishap at Hastings.
