Racing: Great Northern still on Rayner's mind

Evan Rayner believes he still has a big chance of winning Saturday's Great Northern Hurdles, despite a disastrous result in the hurdle race at Wanganui on Saturday.

Van Winkle crashed heavily at the last hurdle and Wednesday Night was run down by Label This in the last 75m after looking likely to win.

Rayner said neither horse had been harmed by the race and both would be at Ellerslie.

Van Winkle was beaten at the time of his fall, but that did not concern Rayner at the time, nor does it worry him going into New Zealand's biggest hurdle race on Saturday.

For a start the track was too firm for him.

"They run the hurdles around the outside of the course proper here at Wanganui and, knowing him, he's a shocker for not paying attention to what he's supposed to be doing.

"With no running rail he loses focus," the trainer said.

"Van Winkle appeared to be distracted by a riderless horse just in front as he approached the last obstacle.

"Coran Pemberton said he felt the other horses cut him off, but I don't think it did, I think he was watching the other horse and not watching the fence.

These fences at Wanganui are basically steeplechase fences - you don't hit them and get away with it. The fact that four of the seven runners fell underlines that."

Van Winkle came back with cuts to his mouth, but was otherwise unharmed.

Rayner said the two horses were fine yesterday morning.

"They must be all right because I was just about to go down the hill to see them and before I could do that they came galloping up the hill. Can't be much wrong with them."

Rayner had wanted to see Wednesday Night win to justify a start in the Great Northern, but is lining the horse up anyway.

"I think he'll be right in it."

Like a few of his rival trainers, Rayner is looking for rain this week to soften the Ellerslie surface.

The Great Northern will be missing at least one runner - Just Jeff.

The Cambridge hurdler bruised a knee when he crashed after catching the wing of the hurdle at the end of the back straight on the last round.

"If he'd won that, and I'm sure he would have, I'd have run him in the Northern," said trainer Danny Walker.

"It's my own fault - I hadn't been happy all week about the hurdles being on the outside of the course proper.

"It's unnatural for horses and my bloke got confused by it. I spoke to Noel McCutcheon [chief stipendiary steward] about it before the race and he said the Jumping Association was apparently happy with it.

"I saw Noel after the race and he said it won't be happening again."

Just Jeff's rider Aaron Tata has a broken collarbone and will be another absentee from Ellerslie.