Mark Oulaghan (left) and jockey Shaun Fannin at Woodville in May. Photo: Peter Rubery, Race Images.
Mark Oulaghan (left) and jockey Shaun Fannin at Woodville in May. Photo: Peter Rubery, Race Images.
Awapuni trainer Mark Oulaghan will test the record books when he saddles up two of the shortest-priced favourites in living memory at the Riccarton Grand National meeting this weekend.
Oulaghan has Berry The Cash in the $100,000 Hospitality New Zealand Canterbury 134th Grand National Hurdles (4200m) and West Coast in the $100,000 Racecourse Hotel and Motor Lodge 14th Grand National Steeplechase (5600m) on Saturday.
Both horses won each corresponding race last season giving Oulaghan a notable double. Now, he is odds-on for the double-double.
West Coast is white hot at the TAB at $1.40 to win and create history, while Berry The Cash has likewise been labelled almost unbeatable by the bookies at $1.55.
The form simply stacks up. West Coast easily won the Koral Steeples at Riccarton last weekend, while earlier that day Berry The Cash won the Avon City Ford Sydenham Hurdles (3100m).
Both horses rank among the very best jumpers of the modern era. In the case of West Coast, he will be attempting to become the first horse to win three consecutive Grand National Steeplechases - no mean feat.
You have to dive pretty deep into the record books to find a horse called The Agent, who did win the race three times - 1879, 1880 and 1884 - but not in succession.
West Coast and Berry The Cash will have to carry weight to win at the weekend though. Both horses have earned the top-weight of 73kg.
West Coast set a modern-day weight carrying record last year when winning with 72kg, while Berry The Cash won last year with 66kg. The record weight for the hurdles was The Cossack, who carried 68.5kg in 2021.
Berry The Cash with jockey Portia Matthews at Riccarton last weekend Photo / Race Images South
In West Coast’s case, he will carry 7kg more than all his rivals over the testing 5.6km distance, the same weight as your average sack of spuds.
West Coast has won nine of his 13 starts over steeples and more than $411,285 in prizemoney. Berry The Cash has won nine of his 30 starts, including six over hurdles, and more than $264,000 in prizemoney.
Interestingly, West Coast had failed to win a race in 19 starts on the flat and a few minor placings had contributed just $9300 to his healthy career purse.
Oulaghan has won the Grand National Steeplechase on a record eight occasions, and the Grand National Hurdles five times.
