Racing: Anderton pair take good form into jumps season

Harry Hill is back over the hurdles at Riverton today. Photo by Matt Smith.
Harry Hill is back over the hurdles at Riverton today. Photo by Matt Smith.
White Robe Lodge takes two fit horses to Riverton today for the start of the South Island jumps season.

Harry Hill (race 1) and High Forty (race 3) both travel to Riverton with the benefit of three runs each under their belt as they take on the obstacles.

Both impressed in a rating 65 jumpers and highweight 2200m at Oamaru last week, finishing fourth and fifth respectively and ahead of some flat race specialists.

''They're both very forward,'' co trainer Brian Anderton said.

''I was intending on going to Waikato with them but it's come up quick.

''There's only one day between that and the second day at Riverton so we'll probably be hanging around down here.''

Harry Hill, a winner over the hurdles at Timaru last year, faces four rivals, including Needastar, who won two hurdles races last year. Anderton said Harry Hill would try the larger fences later this year.

''He'll probably go steeplechasing somewhere but that horse of Danny Crozier's [Needastar] looks like it will be hardest to beat.

''We'll just take it one at a time and see what happens.''

High Forty shares the top weight with last year's Great Western Steeplechase and Otago Steeplechase winner Keep It Tight and Anderton said the son of Danzighill would prefer slightly less give in the ground than Harry Hill.

''We'll just see how they shape up _ High Forty isn't a great mudder. Harry doesn't mind the mud, but High Forty prefers a better track.''

Last year's Grand National Hurdle winner Gargamel is one of High Forty's rivals and is having just his second steeplechase start after running second behind Keep It Tight in the Otago Steeplechase last season.

His one run in this campaign was a ninth over 2147m at Riverton on April 6.

 

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