The Grand National carnival has been on the radar for much of the jumping fraternity for quite some time, but that is not quite the case for Troy Harris.
A phone call from Awapuni trainer Mark Oulaghan changed those plans pretty quickly for the Cambridge-based Harris.
The Waikato jumps rider was not intending to head to Riccarton until Oulaghan's call on Monday.
''I didn't really have anything before that so it was good to get the call,'' Harris (27) said.
Harris will partner Upper Cut in the Koral, and thinks the son of White Robe Lodge stallion Yamanin Vital could bounce back to his Manawatu Steeplechase form.
His last start produced a seventh at Hastings on June 27, but Harris - who takes over from Daniel Miller - is not too disheartened by the battling effort.
''It wasn't too bad a run. He's won at Riccarton before . . . so he should be a nice ride, I reckon.
''I wouldn't want to be too far off them, but he normally gets back a little bit. I probably wouldn't ride him too much different.''
Former Great NorthernHurdle winner Harvest The Gold is getting used to steeplechasing, and the rising 13yr-old suggested he is not far away from a maiden win with a tough second at Awapuni last week.
