Ready Eddie
Trish Dunell
Ready Eddie showed he was on target for one of the country's major winter prizes after upstaging a number of better-performed jumpers at Te Rapa.
The Awapuni visitor took punters by surprise when he triumphed in the Porritt Sand Waikato Hurdles at odds of 28-1 for trainer and part-owner Laura Knight.
"It's very exciting and we didn't really know what to think with so many decent jumpers in the race," she said.
Ready Eddie had three flat runs to fit him for a return to jumps racing and a campaign focussed on the Hospitality New Zealand Grand National Hurdles on August 10.
The son of Yamanin Vital was successful over fences at the carnival last year and he also won his maiden on the flat at Riccarton when previously with Mark Oulaghan.
He prepared Ready Eddie to win his first hurdle race in 2013 before a tendon injury side-lined the gelding for a year and he subsequently transferred to Knight, who races the seven-year-old with her father and former All Black prop Gary.
Ready Eddie was ridden on Saturday by Shaun Fannin, who was happy to sit back in the early stages of the race.
"I was following San Pedro, I thought he was the one to beat, and at the 800 I went to go around him and he kicked up so I was a bit worried, but this is a very tough horse and he jumped well," Fannin said.
Ready Eddie challenged three flights from home and led over the last two fences to beat San Pedro by a length with Nancho Lass taking third money. – NZ Racing Desk.
The Awapuni visitor took punters by surprise when he triumphed in the Porritt Sand Waikato Hurdles at odds of 28-1 for trainer and part-owner Laura Knight.
"It's very exciting and we didn't really know what to think with so many decent jumpers in the race," she said.
Ready Eddie had three flat runs to fit him for a return to jumps racing and a campaign focussed on the Hospitality New Zealand Grand National Hurdles on August 10.
The son of Yamanin Vital was successful over fences at the carnival last year and he also won his maiden on the flat at Riccarton when previously with Mark Oulaghan.
He prepared Ready Eddie to win his first hurdle race in 2013 before a tendon injury side-lined the gelding for a year and he subsequently transferred to Knight, who races the seven-year-old with her father and former All Black prop Gary.
Ready Eddie was ridden on Saturday by Shaun Fannin, who was happy to sit back in the early stages of the race.
"I was following San Pedro, I thought he was the one to beat, and at the 800 I went to go around him and he kicked up so I was a bit worried, but this is a very tough horse and he jumped well," Fannin said.
Ready Eddie challenged three flights from home and led over the last two fences to beat San Pedro by a length with Nancho Lass taking third money. – NZ Racing Desk.