The field of just eight in this Prestige Grand National Hurdle 4200m saw two not complete on a day the track at Riccarton was savagely biased towards on pacers. Every single winner either led turning for home or was a close second soon after on the ten race card with the footing holding as well so those too far back were a million to one and drifting in every race. Two runners in the field had never missed paying a dividend as hurdlers namely Jackfrost and Laekeeper and this was the quinella in that order so both maintained that impressive record. Jackfrost raced fourth the inner and then came off and through into second across the top and led turning for home. The 8yo grey strode clear the home stretch and bolted in to win by eight and a half lengths in 4:57.58 to win his ninth race from forty-six starts. His hurdle record is now seven starts for four wins and three seconds. Interestingly and strangely under-reported was this gelding was originally trained in the North Island for his first twenty-four starts and won five races on the flat, so has only won over fences since coming to a South Island yard. Laekeeper raced third then second before taking the lead just inside a lap from home and went three lengths clear. He tried to run his rivals into submission but Jackfrost went straight past him turning for home and then put daylight between himself and this 7yo gelding. Second Innings ran a very distant third after racing second or third mostly and the 10yo ended up fourteen and a half lengths from the winner at the line. Drumgold raced fifth mostly and stayed the inside to reach fourth across the top and was a very distant fourth at the line. Kiddo was a distant fifth beaten twenty one and a half lengths while Zedeedudadeeko ran a shocker stopping badly to be beaten over forty lengths. The footing was too holding for Zedeedudadeeko and not wet enough plus the topweight of 69.5kg cannot be an excuse as he won the Prestige Wellington Hurdle three runs prior with 1kg less and Second Innings (the third finisher today) ran fourth in it beaten over twenty-two lengths. The other two runners pulled up with The Energiser not jumping the final two fences and did not complete the race as he did a year ago. Go Go Gonzo ran second in this last year but today after leading clearly early then being headed just into the final lap dropped out badly and was pulled up across the top. Cardiac arrhythmia was the found cause. A sour note of the race was the unnecessary excessive use of the whip by rider Stuart Higgins on Jackfrost when well clear the final stages and the bad look for the sport was heavily punished by the stewards with an eight week suspension and an $800 fine. It was a dreadful look with the head on quite damning and just what the rider was thinking or going through his head is anyone's guess. The two youngest leapers in the field were superior by miles and Jackfrost (8yo) and Laekeeper (7yo) have many more wins in store plus both look easily able enough to make the steeplechase grade as well.