The running of both the Great Western Hurdles and Steeplechase tomorrow will cap a weekend that should satisfy the appetite of the keenest jumps racing enthusiasts.
There are five jumping races at the Te Rapa meeting today, to be followed by the Riverton jumping features tomorrow.
Whanganui trainer Kevin Myers and rider Shaun Fannin have a strong chance of winning the feature races at both venues.
The trainer and jockey combine with Sea King, who heads the field with 70kg for today's Waikato Hurdles.
They also pair up with The Big Opal, who opened as a short-priced fixed-odds favourite in today's Waikato Steeplechase.
Fannin and Myers again team up, though at the opposite end of the country, with Wiggle in tomorrow's Great Western Hurdle at Riverton.
The combination will have plenty of southern opposition to overcome in the race, in the form of last year's winner, Revenge, and strong chances in Delacroix and Gold Leaf.
Myers and Fannin will also have the likely favourite in the Great Western Steeplechase in Crash Bandicoot, who takes on five southern opponents.
The Preakness Stakes will be run over 1900m at Pimlico Racecourse in Baltimore at 10.45am New Zealand time, tomorrow.
Kentucky Derby winner and race favourite Always Dreaming will start from barrier 4 in his quest to win the second leg of the American Triple Crown.
- By Jonny Turner
