WELLINGTON - Waikato jockey Paul Fitzgerald will attempt to break his Trentham duck with a flourish tomorrow.
The Te Awamutu-based rider, who has never won a race at Trentham, will partner form runners in the two big jumping races.
He has the mount on the $2.50 favourite Reb's Shu in the $50,000 Wellington Steeplechase (5500m) and stablemate Ricko in the $30,000 Wellington Hurdles (3400m).
Fitzgerald, aged 33, has a good tally of big races wins, including a Great Northern Steeplechase, but has not won a race of any description at Trentham.
"I have had a lot of placings on the course, even when I was riding on the flat, but haven't been able to win one," he said yesterday.
Fitzgerald has had three previous rides in the Wellington Steeplechase with his best result being a sixth, on Classic Heights, in 1995.
It was Classic Heights who gave Fitzgerald the biggest win of his career, in the 1996 Great Northern. The rider's other wins include the Hawke's Bay Steeplechase, McGregor Grant Steeplechase, Waikato Hunt Cup, Inter-Island Steeplechase at Paeroa (twice) and Waikato Hurdle.
Reb's Shu has won only two races over fences but earned favouritism for tomorrow's feature by decisively winning the McGregor Grant Steeplechase at Ellerslie last month, beating Prince Of Clouds and Great Northern winner Royal Ways.
The seven-year-old still lacks experience as a jumper but his record reads well and he does not meet a vintage Wellington Steeplechase field.
He has had two wins, four seconds and a third from nine starts over fences and has paid a dividend every time he has completed the course.
He fell at his jumping debut and lost his rider in this year's Waikato Steeplechase.
He had his first start over fences a year ago and confirmed his potential when runner-up to Willie Tee in Novice Steeplechase Final at Ellerslie in September.
The Waikato mishap apart, his steeplechase form this year has been hard to fault. He ran second to Bob Dobalino in an open steeplechase at Te Rapa first-up and was the runner-up to Royal Ways at Ellerslie in May before winning the McGregor Grant.
He will be having his first race day experience over the figure-eight course but had a look at the Trentham fences yesterday.
"The fences are a bit different down here and he had a good look at the first couple," Fitzgerald said.
"But by the last couple he was gaining confidence and going better.
"He's really only in his first full season as a jumper. He needed to get a look at the fences before Saturday and I'm lot happier now that we have schooled him."
Fitzgerald's Wellington Hurdles mount, Ricko, has had a win, three seconds and a fourth from five starts over fences but is up against Rand tomorrow.
The pair have met twice and Rand has been too good both times, though Ricko was only a length and a half away at Trentham on Wednesday.
Reb's Shu and Ricko are both trained by Robert Priscott who employs Fitzgerald as his stable foreman.
Priscott will be looking for a big finish to what has already been a wonderful year.
He is happy with both his jumpers but would have preferred some rain this week.
"The ground is pretty firm in the centre and not ideal for Reb's Shu," Priscott said.
"He's very much a wet track horse and his flat wins have been on the wettest of ground.
"But you can't do anything about the weather and with his record over fences it's difficult to see him not going well."
- NZPA
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