Racing: Winsloe faces early hurdle with jumper

Ellis Winsloe. Photo / Otago Daily Times

Jumpers Kidunot and Magic Man are the subject of a disputed riding engagement in the hurdles at the Oamaru meeting today.

Dan Bothamley has been declared to ride both horses.

"The trainers are in a stalemate and if it can't be sorted out, it will go to the judicial committee," Mark Davidson, the stipendiary steward for the meeting, said.

Ellis Winsloe is the trainer of Kidunot and Murray Hamilton has Magic Man.

Bothamley has been the regular rider of Kidunot. He has ridden Magic Man in his past two starts and won a maiden hurdle on the Danske gelding at Riverton in May.

Kidunot was switched to the hurdles today when the open steeplechase was abandoned.

Winsloe had intended to start the 9-year-old in the steeplechase to help him regain his confidence after he fell in the Grand National Steeplechase.

Both Kidunot and Bothamley were unscathed after the Riccarton fall.

Winsloe said on Wednesday that a decision on a trip to Auckland to defend his Great Northern Hurdles title on Saturday week would be made after Oamaru. "We will be guided by the weather. If it is too wet we won't go. The track looked pretty wet for the Pakuranga Hunt Cup last Saturday.

"If we do go, he will contest the Great Northern Hurdles.

"He has had only three starts over the big fences and he would not be seasoned enough for the testing conditions over the steeples.

"We have the option to look at the steeplechase next year," Winsloe said.

Kidunot has not started over hurdles since finishing second to Magic Man at Washdyke in June.

- Otago Daily Times