Racing: Grand National Hurdles success a buzz for Curran

Wotabuzz (Hayley Curran) clears the last fence on his way to winning the Grand National Hurdles...
Wotabuzz (Hayley Curran) clears the last fence on his way to winning the Grand National Hurdles at Riccarton yesterday. Photo by Race Images.
Hayley Curran, who began riding over jumps 14 months ago, won the $60,000 New Zealand Grand National Hurdles at Riccarton yesterday with a well-judged front-running ride on Wotabuzz.

Curran (21) was having her 28th ride over jumps for her seventh win.

She had won a 0-1w steeplechase earlier in the day on Upper Cut after her mount, How True, fell in the maiden hurdles.

Curran had one flat ride as an amateur in 2010 before she was licensed as a jumps rider in May last year. She rode her first jumps winner, Electriclite, in a steeplechase at Awapuni in August 2011.

She is the sixth female to win a National Hurdles, joining Leanne Elliot (Charlie Boy, 1992), Tina Egan (Ragamuffin Rose, 1994), Megan Prendergast (Arch Rival, 1999), Rochelle Lockett (Lucky Tip, 2002 and Cool Water, 2003) and Michelle Hopkins (Just A Swagger, 2004).

Mark Oulaghan, the Awapuni trainer of Wotabuzz, has also won the National Hurdles with Rand (2000), Yourtheman (2006) and Counter Punch (2007).

Wotabuzz was having his seventh start over hurdles. He won his first hurdles start in June last year at Te Rapa. He has won four and been three-times placed.

The 8yr-old His Royal Highness-Burnish gelding won five races on the flat, the first as a 3yr-old when trained by Lisa Latta, who provided the runner up, Waitaha Toa, in the National yesterday.

Oulaghan bred Wotabuzz and his dam, Burnish, an unraced mare by Touching Wood from Refulgence.

 

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