Racing: Next hurdle is Great Northern

Cork 'N Bottle booked a start in the $100,000 Great Northern Hurdles when he impressively bridged the gap between maiden and open hurdle class at Ellerslie on Saturday.

At his previous start, at Matamata on July 5, the Cambridge five-year-old had registered his first win from four starts over brush.

It was a quantum leap in more ways than one when he took on and easily beat open class hurdlers in Saturday's Edwards Sound System Hurdles.

After being contained patiently by Irish amateur Richard Cully, Cork 'N Bottle surged forward to challenge and then run away over the final stages to score by 14 lengths from Mr Barrymore and last-start Hawkes Bay Hurdle winner Royal Kiwi.

"We'd have to go for the Great Northern after that," said his excited trainer Ross Elliot, who numbered the 1998 contest on Sir Avion among numerous feature jumps wins as a jockey.

The Elliot-Cully combination was also successful over hurdles at Te Aroha last Wednesday with Cork 'N Bottle's accomplished half-brother Mr Hefner.

Both horses are part-owned by their Otorohanga breeder, Mike Rossiter.

Royal Kiwi did no harm to his Grand National Hurdle prospects by running on late for his placing. His chances were not helped when he was checked by his fallen stablemate, Poacher, over the first fence.

The field had to be diverted around that fence on the next circuit due to Poacher's rider, Richard Eynon, being prone on the track.

He was taken to hospital with suspected concussion and other injuries, but initial fears that he had suffered a fractured femur were later allayed.