Racing: Southerner fancies chances in hurdles

Kevin Hughes got a pleasant surprise when he pulled up the TAB website yesterday morning.

It made his day when he saw his emerging jumping star, Udidwhat, at $12 for tomorrow's Dunstan Feeds Waikato Hurdles at Te Rapa.

It's fair to say Riccarton-based Hughes fancies his chances even against probably the most talent-packed Waikato Hurdles race in memory.

He feels he has two important factors on his side: a good winter surface that will rate somewhere around 3.1 easy, and the fact that Udidwhat will be fitter than some of his opposition.

"He's had two hurdle races already and if he is going to have a crack at the good ones, this is the time of year to do it when many of the others are still on the way up," said Hughes.

"He's got a good rider in Nathan Hanley and the fact that the track is in good order will help.

"He's not a slow horse and a speedy surface for a hurdle race is what he's looking for.

"He's good enough to win."

Udidwhat showed he has galloping talent when he came off hurdle wins at Riverton and Invercargill to beat an 1800m intermediate flat field at Riccarton on April 30.

The Waikato Hurdles has 10 runners and you can make a strong winning case for at least six of them.

Just Jeff scored with some ease in the lead-up hurdle race two weeks ago. He has won two of his three hurdling starts and trainer Danny Walker accepts the blame for the sole defeat in allowing the horse's condition to get away on him in the week leading up to Just Jeff's close fourth at Hastings two starts back. There is no chance of his making that mistake again.

"I'm very happy with him - he's exactly where he was two weeks ago," said Walker.

Just Jeff has led in both his hurdle wins.

There is a lot of speed in the race with the likes of the brilliant Dondinello and Walker is well aware of the danger of a speed duel.

"There is no chance he'll be cutting his throat with something up front."

Van Winkle is unbeaten in two jumping starts. He finished last in the Rotorua Cup last week, but that does not faze co-trainer Evan Rayner.

"They ran a record in that race and the track was a lot firmer than we'd anticipated.

"I ran a blood off him when he came home and that was perfect so there will be no excuses this time.

"He has more ability on the flat than any runner in the field, but I accept it is a very strong line-up."

Rayner is pleased there is ample speed in the race.

"He's cruised up there too soon in the two hurdle races he's won and having the speed on will help him.

"I'm also delighted the track will be no worse than easy. He's got too much ability to be wallowing around in the mud and trying to jump fences."

The worst lead-up effort at Te Rapa two weeks ago came from Our Front Line, who ran a shocker. He was a beaten horse 600m out and finished 22 lengths from Just Jeff in eighth place.

Trainer Paul Belsham was initially stunned by the performance.

" I know he wasn't properly fit, but that wouldn't explain how badly he went.

"I believe he must have got his tongue over the bit and hampered his breathing. He came back in breathing heavily and he must have got himself worked up with the helter-skelter pace and moved his tongue over the bit."

Our Front Line will race with a tongue tie this time and Belsham expects a much better showing.

"We had him thoroughly checked out when we got home and there's nothing wrong with him. He jumped 10 hurdles this morning and I'm very pleased with him."

Dondinello is the question horse. He has massive potential, but as the winner of just one hurdle race he comes into this very badly in the handicap.

He is on the same weight as Van Winkle, who has won twice over hurdles and receives only half a kilo from Our Front Line, who has won three. But his talent will take him a long way.