Horse racing: Leading jumps trainers launch triple threat in Great New Zealand Hurdle

Suliman (middle) on his way to winning the Grand National at Riccarton last month. Photo / Race Images

Few trainers could match Paul Nelson’s record in the Great Northern Hurdle, a reputation he hopes to transfer into the renamed J Swap Great New Zealand Hurdle, with three contenders in the Te Aroha feature on Friday.

The Hastings conditioner won his first Northern back in 2002 with Chibuli and followed the early success with back-to-back titles in 2006 and 2007 with Just Not Cricket.

Corrina McDougal joined Nelson in partnership in 2019 and the pair doubled that tally over the next four years with The Cossack (2020 and 2021) and Nedwin (2024).

Representing the stable in this year’s revamped Great New Zealand contest will be Suliman, Taika and The Bambino, who have taken different paths to their final jumping assignment of the season.

Suliman, a 12-year-old veteran, has found sterling form in the latter part of the year, winning a competitive Grand National Hurdle (4200m) before winding up late to finish third in the Pakūranga Hunt Hurdle (3100m) at the end of last month, a run that impressed his co-trainer.

“He was very good in the Pakūranga, considering it was a bit shorter,” Nelson said.

“Hopefully for him, the track will be wet and loose again on Friday.

“He was a bit slow to start with [this year] but once he’s found his form, he’s gone very well.”

The third-place-getter in last year’s Northern, Taika, opened his 2025 account on a winning note in May, but has mixed his form at times since then, with the testing ground not to his liking in the Pakūranga.

Nelson and McDougal opted to back him up at Woodville in the following weekend and were satisfied with a fourth-placed effort.

“I don’t think he enjoyed his run at Pakūranga in the really wet, loose mud, he was covered in it,” Nelson said.

“I think if he races handier, he can probably stay away from it a bit more.”

The Bambino brings the least amount of experience into the race, but he certainly makes up for that in talent, winning his last two hurdle races and sealing a trip north for his prestige debut.

“Ben [Foote], his part-owner, was very keen for him to run in this race, but he had to prove he was up to it,” Nelson said. “I think he’s really done that in his last couple of races.

“He’s a funny little horse, he’s not the easiest to work and we try to keep him as quiet and settled as we can. But when he gets to the races, he settles very well and doesn’t fight the rider.

“I think that he’ll be able to do that on Friday, relax and see out the 4200m.”

Foote and his son Ryan, who train in Cambridge, are sponsors of the other headlining event of the carnival, the Ben and Ryan Foote Great New Zealand Steeplechase (6200m), where Nedwin will be vying for top honours.

The son of Niagara switched between hurdling and steeplechasing in the early part of the season, but now focusing on the bigger fences, he placed third in the Grand National Steeplechase (5600m) before taking out the key lead-up race to Sunday’s event, the Pakūranga Hunt Cup (4300m).

Nelson was pleased with how his charge came through the feature but is mindful of the test he faces as a relatively inexperienced chaser.

“I’m very happy with his work, he seemed to have come through the Pakūranga race really well and had a nice few days off in a grass paddock, which always helps them,” he said.

“We’ll have to see how he goes, he’s still a young steeplechaser but he’s going well.

“He doesn’t mind [track conditions], he handles bad ground and if it was a little bit better, it doesn’t worry him. He retains a bit of ability on the flat as well.”

– LOVERACING.NZ News Desk