KEY POINTS:
A return to jumps racing saw an emphatic form reversal recorded by Spirit Of Alaton in yesterday's $30,000 Awapuni Hurdles.
Spirit Of Alaton was produced in faultless condition by trainer Rachael Frost and was primed for a bold jumping display over 4400m.
Frost had given the 9-year-old two lead-up flat races before yesterday's feature including a 17.1 length seventh at Trentham last Saturday.
Spirit Of Alaton relished the distance and return to hurdling, racing keenly in front throughout with the favourite Gull.
Both runners cleared out from the rest of the field by seven lengths with 1200m remaining, this pair waging a stride-for-stride battle down the home stretch.
Despite making a mess of jumping the last hurdle Spirit Of Alaton, with his superior pace on the flat, recovered quickly to defeat Gull by a length. A further 1 1/4 lengths away in third was Wolf Pack.
"I actually thought that he may have being a bit vulnerable for this race as he's only had the one schooling session this entire campaign," said Frost.
"I would have been happy if he had run in the first three or four and he'll definitely improve with this outing.
"I'm pretty keen to take him to Melbourne and it'll be a decision the owners will have to make. I think they'll go a bit too quick for him in the hurdle races so we'll have to get him a jumping ticket in Melbourne as a steeplechaser."
Frost has not earmarked any particular races in Melbourne for Spirit Of Alaton, preferring to focus on travelling and settling the 9-year-old into new surroundings before qualifying her stable star as a steeplechaser.
The victory was also a milestone for rider Peter Cunningham, the biggest win in his riding career.
TRIPLEPAN WAS one of the least experienced runners heading into the $30,000 L J Hooker Manawatu Steeplechase but his overall brilliance on the flat was too much for his opponents to handle.
A patient ride by Isaac Lupton clinched the victory for the 7-year-old who sat in fourth position on the rail behind a brutal pace.
Triplepan pounced on the leaders with 600m remaining and cleared out in the home straight to score by a length over the fast finishing Captain Jingle with a further 1 1/2 lengths back to The Jolly Dancer.
This was a massive rise in class for Triplepan, an impressive last-start maiden steeplechase winner at Hastings, who handled the daunting assignment effortlessly.
Triplepan has developed a useful career record of seven wins - all left-handed - and seven minor placings from 39 starts for Gisborne-based trainer Joanne Moss.
