Thenamesbond (black cap)
Trish Dunell
Te Rapa trainer Stephen Ralph believes a hard-fit Thenamesbond coming in at a favourable position in the weights is capable of winning Saturday's Porritt Sand Waikato Hurdles (3200m).
The seven-year-old gelding carried 71kg to finish second on a dead track in the restricted open hurdle leadup to the Waikato Hurdles at Te Rapa a fortnight ago and drops 3kg to 68kg for this weekend's prestige jumps race, a 4kg weight swing over winner San Pedro.
"He goes on top of the ground as well as he goes in a bog but 71kg on top of the ground is a bit easier to carry in testing ground," Ralph said.
"We were backing him up from Matamata three days earlier but that was mainly for mental reasons, to get him in the right head space. Michael [Mitchell] rode him really well and held him up till he really needed him to go and he did botch the last [fence] and with the extra weight he just couldn't pick up and sprint like the other horse.
"He's 4kg better off this weekend and while San Pedro goes well on wet ground too, it really should suit our horse. We think we've got him right where he needs to be and we've got the right jockey on him."
Mitchell, the reigning champion jumps jockey and current jumps jockey premiership leader, has ridden Thenamesbond four times previously for two wins and a placing, his wins coming in last year's KS Browne Hurdle at Ellerslie and the Rotorua and Bay of Plenty Hunt Cup, when carrying 71kg.
Ralph said Thenamesbond, who goes by the stable name James, would again tackle the KS Browne Hurdle at Ellerslie on June 6 before preparing for a possible tilt at the Wellington Hurdles in July.
He rated last year's runner-up Just Got Home as the horse to beat in the Waikato Hurdles.
"He looks the best horse in the race to me," Ralph said. - NZ Racing Desk
The seven-year-old gelding carried 71kg to finish second on a dead track in the restricted open hurdle leadup to the Waikato Hurdles at Te Rapa a fortnight ago and drops 3kg to 68kg for this weekend's prestige jumps race, a 4kg weight swing over winner San Pedro.
"He goes on top of the ground as well as he goes in a bog but 71kg on top of the ground is a bit easier to carry in testing ground," Ralph said.
"We were backing him up from Matamata three days earlier but that was mainly for mental reasons, to get him in the right head space. Michael [Mitchell] rode him really well and held him up till he really needed him to go and he did botch the last [fence] and with the extra weight he just couldn't pick up and sprint like the other horse.
"He's 4kg better off this weekend and while San Pedro goes well on wet ground too, it really should suit our horse. We think we've got him right where he needs to be and we've got the right jockey on him."
Mitchell, the reigning champion jumps jockey and current jumps jockey premiership leader, has ridden Thenamesbond four times previously for two wins and a placing, his wins coming in last year's KS Browne Hurdle at Ellerslie and the Rotorua and Bay of Plenty Hunt Cup, when carrying 71kg.
Ralph said Thenamesbond, who goes by the stable name James, would again tackle the KS Browne Hurdle at Ellerslie on June 6 before preparing for a possible tilt at the Wellington Hurdles in July.
He rated last year's runner-up Just Got Home as the horse to beat in the Waikato Hurdles.
"He looks the best horse in the race to me," Ralph said. - NZ Racing Desk
