By Barry Street
Hardly anyone - least of all top jumps jockey Eddie Lamb - expects Ballina Bold to be beaten in the Grand National Hurdles at Riccarton today.
In Lamb's opinion, though, the TAB's $1.75 pre-post odds for Ballina Bold to repeat his runaway Wellington Hurdles win last month are a bit preposterous.
After all, there are 14 flights of hurdles to clear and the risk that a poor jumper could get in Ballina Bold's way, stop him in his tracks or even bring him down.
Lamb is not greatly concerned that Ballina Bold will face brush hurdles instead of batten fences.
"He had plenty of practice over brush fences when Kevin Myers taught him to be a jumper," Lamb said yesterday.
"I don't really see that as a problem.
"My only concern is that he doesn't over-race after his win on the flat last Saturday.
"To get the 4200m of the Grand National Hurdles he will need to cover each lap about five seconds slower than he went in the 1600m flat race."
Ballina Bold surprised Lamb by how handily he raced for his 13-length win in the Wellington Hurdles at Trentham.
"He also raced on the flat, finishing second to Glory Be, as a lead-up to the Wellington Hurdles.
"I think that run must have sharpened him. Thankfully it didn't leave him without a finish.
"He went to the line as though he could have gone another lap.
"That tells me that, barring accidents and his not pulling, he should cope with an extra 800m."
Lamb is without a mount in the Grand National Steeplechase at Riccarton on Saturday and feels "hacked off" that Ben Foote has been permitted to re-ride Freebee High after being found guilty of incompetence in the Koral Steeplechase last Saturday.
"I got fined $450 and copped a two-day suspension for careless riding in the highweight last Saturday," he said.
"Compare that with Foote's four-day suspension and no fine for incompetent riding, plus the deferment of his suspension which allows him to get square [financially] on Saturday.
"That doesn't make sense or sound much like justice to me."
Horse Racing: Ballina Bold rated unbeatable
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