Racing: Broodmare finally produces class act

Great Northern Hurdle winning owners Gary and Jan Sherratt like to keep their racing in the family.

The Hawke's Bay pair began racing horses when they bought Frond as a weanling in 1972. Every horse they have raced since, including Saturday's winner Just Not Cricket, descends from the Old Soldier mare Frond.

They have included some good ones, particularly group three winner Fernoon, but a lot more ordinary ones, many by Just Not Cricket's sire Corrupt.

"I've got about 20 horses on the farm and every one is descended from Frond," said Gary Sherratt.

"We had a few good horses but this is the best one by far."

Just Not Cricket has not given Sherratt an easy ride as an owner.

The 9-year-old has suffered two hairline fractures of his hind legs and a pulled muscle just before the New Zealand Cup four years ago.

It also looked like he was on the way to incurring a tendon injury last year before his then-trainer Ben Foote, of Cambridge, suggested he be transferred to Paul Nelson's stable near Hastings in the hope hill training would keep him sound.

"Ben did a really good job with the horse and it's almost a shame that he doesn't have him now," Sherratt said.

"But it was him who recommended that I give him to Paul and see if the hill work would help him. It was a great call."

The courage Just Not Cricket needed simply to stay in training came to the fore at Ellerslie on Saturday when he had to call on all his reserves to maintain his unbeaten record over hurdles.

Sherratt had his doubts about victory when the Mark Oulaghan-trained Grand National Hurdles winner Yourtheman cruised past the favourite with 600m to go.

Yourtheman's jockey Tom Hazlett seemed to have a lot more resources to call on.

But soon after clearing the last fence 200m from the finish, Just Not Cricket found more under the urgings of rider Jonathan Riddell and finished so strongly that he had a length and a half to spare at the line.

"I think I might have gone too early on him and he put in a couple of rough ones before the turn," Riddell said.

"But he's a very good horse and I knew he wouldn't give up."

Hazlett said he was "gutted" by the result.

"Mark and myself put a lot of work into this horse before this race and everything had gone to plan," Hazlett said.

"But Jonathan said Just Not Cricket was a good horse and now I believe him."

Sherratt and Nelson said there was every chance Just Not Cricket would take on steeplechase races next year rather than stick with hurdling, especially as he will be much higher in the handicap.

"This was always planned to be a practice year," Sherratt said.

"We would rather win the [Grand] National Steeplechase next year rather than the hurdles."

- NZPA