KEY POINTS:
Just A Swagger is Paul Nelson's last hope of ending his disappointing Grand National week.
The Hawkes Bay trainer hasn't had much to smile about at the Canterbury JC's meeting but he is clinging to Just A Swagger righting the ship in the $60,000 Grand National Steeplechase today.
Nelson has this week seen his star jumper of last year, Just Not Cricket, continue his fall from grace.
Just Not Cricket lasted only one stride in last Saturday's $35,000 Sydenham Hurdles when he inexplicably stumbled out of the starting gates and dumped rider Phillip Turner.
Just Not Cricket was backed up in Wednesday's $60,000 Grand National Hurdles but crashed out with a round to go.
Combine those two efforts with Just Not Cricket's fall in the Wellington Hurdles at Trentham last month and Nelson is wondering what to think next about his star of last winter.
Just A Swagger added to Nelson's woes when dropping out to finish seventh of nine runners in last Saturday's $35,000 Koral Steeplechase, a traditional lead-up race to the Grand National.
Just A Swagger yesterday remained an outsider at $9 on the New Zealand TAB's fixed-odds market. Koral winner Stitched had firmed from $3.40 to $3.20 yesterday while Waikato and Wellington Steeplechase winner Black Eagle was a $3.80 second favourite.
Stitched and Black Eagle dominate betting with the next most fancied runner Gauchito Bastado at $6, having eased from $5.50 on Thursday. Gauchito Bastado, trained by Kevin Myers, was second in the Koral after taking out a maiden 'chase at Rotorua on July 25 when having his seventh steeplechase start.
- NZPA
