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Riccarton Park Results (Race 8)

Wednesday, 7th August 2019

8
15:29
(local)

130th Grand National Hrdl

WT: 65.0kg Type: HDLE
NZD $75,000
4200m TURF HEAVY
8
15:29
(local)
NZD $75,000
4200m HEAVY

130th Grand National Hrdl

WT: 65.0kg Type: HDLE

This Prestige Hurdle (4200m) saw a last start maiden hurdle winner in Alfie Dee soon lead and then go clear before hanging on to score by a nose. The track was a very turgid holding heavy and saw some very sluggish times posted The winners and where they turned for home in race order were led (one-off the inside and five lengths ahead), third (one-off the inside and three lengths from the leader), led (three-off the inside and a length ahead), sixth (one-off the inside and three lengths from the leader), third (twelve-off the inside and half a length from the leader), second (four-off the inside and a length from the leader), led (twelve-off the inside and two lengths clear), led (one-off the inside and two lengths ahead), sixth (four-off the inside and a length from the leader) and third (eight-off the inside and a length from the leader). In the ten races four leaders on the home turn won and eight of the winners turned for home first, second or third plus the two winners that turned in sixth were just one and three lengths from the leaders, so you could not be too far away at all in such gluey conditions. Alfie Dee prior to today had run in just four hurdle races for a maiden win and three flops that included one pulled up, so to win a Prestige Hurdle at start five says more about the opposition and how weak this field really was. The 9yo was three lengths clear most of the way and doubled that lead a lap out and down the backstraight before hanging on ever son grimly to win by the smallest margin possible and he clocked an incredibly slow 5:06.78. It was his third win in twenty-six starts and clearly his most meaningful plus he seems to revel in leaping and has tactical dash on the flat so steeplechasing should not be a concern either. Bad Boy Brown has run second now in his last three runs as a hurdler and the margins of defeat have got smaller and smaller to be just a nostril flare today. The 8yo settled down last then second last before moving into fourth at the 1200m then reached second in a gap chasing the leader Alfie Dee. He got without four lengths across the top and was two lengths back turning in and a length away at the 200m. Gradually he started to peg back Alfie Dee and was half a length behind at the 100m and got to a head back at the 50m but could not seal the deal. Bad Boy Brown had his chance to win and looked like he would the closing stages but came up short by the barest margin. Guy Fox was last on his own upon settling down then moved into fourth across the top and was third in a gap turning for home and at the 200m, with his margin to the winner being over eleven lengths. The Great Guru settled down seventh and moved into fourth with 800m to go before being left third across the top then was fourth turning for home and ended up beaten just under fourteen lengths. The only other finisher was the 12yo Additup, the rank outsider by miles at $61, that after running second was third a lap out then drifted back fifth across the top and came home over twenty-eight lengths from the winner. Laekeeper raced sixth then fifth before moving into third at the 800m and was fair dinkum jogging before losing his rider soon after. The other three runners pulled up with Adequacy the first do so just over 1000m out and he suffered a left foreleg tendon injury then No Change was withdrawn across the top while El Disparo was eased out with two fences to clear. This was not a very strong field at all and in fact one of the weakest on record with nearly half the field not finishing an ominous sign too. It is not very often a last start maiden winner as a jumper can come out and score in a Prestige event but Alfie Dee did just that. The two runners he beat in his maiden hurdle victory prior have both since run for a fell when under pressure and a seventh beaten almost thirty-five lengths, so that was no indicator at all. Alfie Dee did not even run on the first day at this Riccarton carnival week and that in itself is very rare plus the second and third finishers in this feature formed the quinella on day one in the traditional lead up Sydnenham Hurdle.

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