Birchwood Run has won the Awapuni Hurdles, a hurdle at Hastings and finished second to Bennyosler in the Hawkes Bay Hurdles this winter.
He measured up in stamina with a last-start steeplechase win at Oamaru over the National distance of 4200m.
Joanne Rathbone, the leading jumps rider last season, has retained the mount.
Tom Hazlett, who has won the National Hurdles on Counter Punch (2007) and Yourtheman (2006), rides Solid Steal, a sound third to Mr Charlton and High Season in the Sydenham Hurdles (3200m) on Saturday.
Kevin Myers, the Wanganui trainer who has begun the season with a flourish, has Pasco, Rioch and Nana in the field.
Pasco is topweight with 68kg, the weight Just Not Cricket carried to success last year.
Pasco ran fourth in the Sydenham.
Rioch has raced three times since joining the Myers stable for a maiden hurdle win at Wanganui and maiden steeple win at Trentham in June.
English rider George Strickland has the mount.
Strickland has ridden two jumps winners while based at Wingatui this winter.
Myers trained four of the nine winners at Hawera on Sunday, as well as Sparking, a winner at Riccarton the previous day.
He won the National Hurdles in 2002 with Lucky Tip, who was a maiden hurdler.
Craig Durden, the Melbourne jockey who rode Wolf Pack to finish second in a gap of eight lengths last year, again has the mount.
Wolf Pack ran fifth in the Sydenham with Steve Pateman the rider.
Pateman switches to Arreviderchi, who finished third last year.
Betting: $4.50 Birchwood Run; $6.00 Rioch; $7.00 High Season; $9.00 Wolf Pack; $10.00 Pasco, Arreviderci, Solid Steal; $11.00 Mr Charlton; $16.00 Nana; $18.00 Arrastra; $21.00 Kidunot; $26.00 Montezuma, Vinopolis.
• Penrickson, winner of the Lord Mayor's Cup at Canterbury (Sydney) in May, won a trial at Te Teko yesterday.
The Pentire-Belle Nuite gelding, trained by Graeme Rogerson, has won seven races.
He won fresh-up at Ruakaka in June 2007 and won at Rotorua before shifting to Australia.
Results of the main trials at Te Teko. -Weather, fine; track, dead (6).
Open, 800m (first heat): Occidentalis T Harris 1; Corsage 2; Rio Fortune 3. Eight started. Nse, nk. Time: 48.86. Trainers: R and C Otto.
Second heat: Te Akau Rose J Anderson 1; Il Quello Veloce 2; Iceskates 3. Seven started. Nk, 2L. Time: 48.6. Trainer: M Walker.
Open, 1000m (first heat): Sandblaster N Harris 1; Clifton Prince 2; Sam's Town 3. Seven started. 1L, hd. Time: 1.01.03. Trainer: K Opie.
Second heat: Joey Massino V Colgan 1; Natsinga 2; Stalingrad 3. Eight started. Hd, L. Time: 1.02.32. Trainer: P McKay.
Open, 1200m: Penrickson O Bosson 1; Affairoftheheart 2; Mr Tipsy 3. Five started. 1L, 2 1/2L. Time: 1.16.34. Trainers: G and D Rogerson.
