Jumps races clean sweep for South

Kina Win with Stuart Higgins aboard stretches out to land after leaping through the last jump in...
Kina Win with Stuart Higgins aboard stretches out to land after leaping through the last jump in the Otago Steeplechase ahead of Tizza Secret and Shaun Fannin. PHOTO: JONNY TURNER
Southerners held off a North Island invasion to take all of the riches on offer at yesterday's Otago jumps day at Wingatui.

Kina Win and The Energiser both sent victories home to Southland, while Cantabrian Delacroix made it three from three for the South.

Jockey Stuart Higgins claimed race 1, the Otago Steeplechase, aboard Kina Win and is hopeful the horse's first steeplechase will spur more success.

The 8yr-old stalked favourite and leader Tizza Secret, ridden by Shaun Fannin, throughout the race before showing too much pace for them in the straight.

Although those tactics worked perfectly on the Sabin Kirkland-trained jumper, they were not part of Higgins' pre-race plan.

``It wasn't really the plan. The plan was to be out in front and make use of the weight advantage.''

However, Higgins was as happy to follow the favourite as his horse was happy in his jumping action.

``He jumped really well throughout. Hopefully, there will be some really nice targets for the horse later on.''

Higgins also hopes he and the Energizer will go on to better things after the horse burst on to the southern jumping scene with a win in his hurdling debut in race 2.

``I think, come Riccarton, he could be a nice horse,'' the jockey said.

``He jumped fantastically.''

Despite jumping well, The Energizer had found himself well back in the field but used all of his six-win flat racing talent to dash through along the rail in the home-straight for an eye-catching last-to-first victory.

``I thought he was too far back and would struggle to run on.

``He has won six race on the flat and he was loving the heavy11.''

The inside of the last hurdle was slightly dismantled as a result of the field crashing through it on the first lap of the race and it looked an easy jump for The Energizer to skip through, but that was not the case, Higgins said.

``He actually moved down the hurdle as he jumped it and put me off a bit, but I managed to get back on board and he finished really well.''

Higgins was looking to complete a perfect day in the saddle in the Otago Hurdles but that turned pear-shaped when he was dislodged from Revenge early in the race.

While Higgins was out of play, Revenge was not and he carried on to make a nuisance of himself among the field.

The horse seemed to take a particular liking to Delacroix, as he weaved into his line throughout the home straight.

Despite that, Hamish McNeil was able to safely guide Delacroix to victory.

The victory was the John and Karen Parsons-trained jumper's fifth over hurdles and a pointer he is on his way to better things, McNeil said.

``He is a good old boy. He is a serious National Hurdle chance, I think. He ploughed through that with topweight, no bother.''

Wings of Eagles, a 40-1 long shot, won the Epsom Derby yesterday, coming from deep to beat favourites Cliffs of Moher and Cracksman in a thrilling race, Reuters reports.

The Aidan O'Brien-trained colt, ridden by Padraig Beggy in his first Derby, is the son of 2011 Derby winner Pour Moi.

The win was O'Brien's sixth in the Derby.

 

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