The Niagara gelding was sent out as a $2.40 favourite for Saturday’s steeplechase debut, in which he was ridden by comeback jockey Mathew Gillies.
Nedwin jumped his first couple of fences in bold style and took up an early lead before being passed by Kentucky Boy as the field came down the side of the track in the first lap.
Nedwin pressed forward again and regained the lead going past the start point in the back straight, but he was soon joined by a new challenger in Leitrim Lad. That runner appeared to be travelling better and clearly headed the favourite coming into the home turn.
But just when Nedwin looked beaten, he flipped that script with an outstanding leap over the final fence. Nedwin suddenly shook free of Leitrim Lad and pulled away, going on to win by three-and-a-half lengths from the strong-finishing Renegade Fighter.
“That was very good,” Nelson said. “He’s a classy jumper and he showed that today. He obviously loved those steeplechase fences.
“He’s been a quality hurdler for a number of years. We considered switching to steeplechases with him last year, but he was going that well in his hurdle races that we put the idea on hold. It was always our intention to give him a chase quite quickly this time around, and this one looked like the right one.
“We’ve got plenty of the winter left in front of us, so we’ll see how he does after this race before considering where we go with him next.”
Gillies has recently resumed riding after spending a number of years on the sidelines. Before Saturday’s success with Nedwin, his last win came aboard Guy Fox in a hurdle race at Riccarton in August of 2019.
“It’s a really good feeling,” Gillies said. “This horse jumped so well today and the winning of the race was the way he jumped the last. I thought the other horse was going better than us coming into the straight and we might have to settle for second, but his last jump was amazing.”
Nelson and McDougal’s other success on Saturday came with Taika, who collected his fourth win from 13 starts over hurdles with an impressive performance in the Jones Trucking Hurdle.
After enjoying a comfortable run just behind the customary pacemaker English Gambler, Taika and his stablemate Dictation warmed into their work and loomed on the outside of that rival coming into the straight.
English Gambler still had plenty left in the tank and fought back strongly, but Taika gradually got the better of him through the final 300m and edged ahead to win by a length and three-quarters.
“That was a good run and a very good ride by Dean Parker,” Nelson said. “This horse ran a nice race on the flat the other day [fourth at Rotorua on May 10], which he hadn’t done for a while. He loves the jumping, so hopefully it’s onwards and upwards from here.”
Last winter was a breakthrough campaign for Taika, who won the Pakūranga Hunt Hurdle (3200m) and finished third in the Great Northern Hurdle (4200m), second in the Hawke’s Bay Hurdle (3100m) and third in the Wellington Hurdle (3200m) and Awapuni Hurdle (3000m).
– LOVERACING.NZ News Desk
