Excitement building for Great Northern spectacle
Te Rapa will play host to an outstanding spectacle of jumps racing on Sunday, with the Peter Kelly – Bayleys Great Northern Hurdle (4200m) and Ben & Ryan Foote Racing Great Northern Steeplechase (6500m) headlining the Kidney Kids Raceday.
Formerly contested at Ellerslie, Te Rapa has held these iconic contests for the past two seasons, with West Coast too strong for his counterparts in last year’s edition of the Great Northern Steeplechase. Recently awarded his second Champion Jumper title in New Zealand, West Coast will be back to defend his crown, with Grand National runner-up Auld Jock among several hopes to dethrone the star.
The course at Te Rapa includes nine beautifully presented live bamboo fences, including five through the centre where the crowd is provided a perfect view of these talented horses at their best. Below, get an insight into the steeplechase course at Te Rapa with Track Manager Bart Cowan.
In the Great Northern Hurdle, we will see another defending champion in Nedwin make his return, however he will come up against dual-National winner Berry The Cash, who is vying for an eighth consecutive victory, and his talented stablemate Taika, who won the Pakuranga Hunt Hurdle (3200m) in the lead-up.
The Sunday meeting has a fantastic undercard of flat and jump races on offer, with the Norris Ward McKinnon 1200 featuring the likes of Sumi, Wild Night and Romancing The Moon. Later on, the Waitoa Free Range Chicken Mile (1600m) features two Group One winners in Sharp’N’Smart and Campionessa, alongside talented types in Islington Lass and Dionysus.
If you’re on course, entry is free to the Flemington Lounge, while the Kentucky Lounge and its facilities will be available to Waikato Thoroughbred Racing members.
What: Kidney Kids Raceday & Great Northerns
Where: Te Rapa Racecourse, Ken Browne Drive, Hamilton 3200
When: Sunday 15th September 2024
Steeplechase Insight
