“So we will give him a shot at a few races like this and see where we are at.”
That means Mercurial being lumped with the 61.5kg topweight, which brings the young member of the new partnership into play: stable apprentice Jack Taplin having his first raceday ride, so claiming the full 4kg allowance.
Taplin is the 21-year-old son of former Southland but now Australian-based trainers Ian and Kerry Taplin and is an apprentice to Marsh.
“He is a good young fella who sits well and his weight shouldn’t be an issue so we are looking forward to seeing him develop,” said Marsh.
“Mercurial isn’t a complicated horse to ride so I am sure Jack will give him his chance and he has also picked up the ride on Harlech [R9, No 1] later in the meeting so it is a big first day for him.”
As enthused as Marsh is about his stable apprentice making his debut, he admits the Waikato rain could dampen the occasion.
Te Rapa has been rated a heavy 10 this week. With little drying weather expected today, it should be a day for those with form in the wet and that isn’t Mercurial, who has never won in 20 starts on soft or heavy tracks.
“The weather won’t help and yes, he could be outside his comfort zone.”
Add to that the presence of a smart galloper in Twain, who relishes the wet, and the fact the majority of the field are also claiming it means Taplin’s advantage could be negated.
Marsh is closing out a record-breaking season with 96 wins and nearly $6.8 million in domestic stakes, but like many of the trainers at the top of the premiership, he will have fewer Saturday runners in the next six weeks as Ellerslie goes on its winter break and the jumping features take centre stage.
That is the case today as the Waikato Hurdles and Steeples are two of our biggest jumps races and are boosted by the jumping comeback of winter warrior The Cossack.
He was almost retired with a leg issue last season but has had two flat runs to prep him for tomorrow’s Steeples where he will carry the maximum 73kg.
As heart-warming as his return to the big fences will be, it is the $60,000 Fairview Motors Waikato Hurdle that may be the highlight of the whole card as it brings together some high-class jumpers.
Topweight Taika is joined by stablemate Dictation and last season’s Great Northern Hurdles winner Lord Spencer as well as last Saturday’s Manawatū Hurdles runner-up Verry Flash, the older brother of the late, great Verry Elleegant.
Lord Spencer was under a ride a long way from home in the open hurdle many of these contested on this track two weeks ago but will appreciate the heavier track and step up from a nippy 2800m to the real stamina test of a heavy 3200m.
Today’s racing
Te Rapa, Waikato Hurdles and Steeples Day. First race, 11.08am.
Whanganui. First race, noon.
Eagle Farm, Brisbane, Stradbroke Day. First race, 1.43pm.
All times in NZT
Michael Guerin wrote his first nationally published racing articles while still in school and started writing about horse racing and the gambling industry for the Herald as a 20-year-old in 1990. He became the Herald’s Racing Editor in 1995 and covers the world’s biggest horse racing carnivals.
