Racing: Trainer full of confidence as Grani makes jump to hurdles

He may be straight out of open sprint grade, but Grani is exactly where trainer Charlie Faulkner needs him for his hurdles debut at Avondale today.

Faulkner's one big concern with the five-race flat winner is that he won't cope with the 2800m of the La-Z-Boy Chair Hurdle.

But the way Grani was behaving around his Auckland stable yesterday suggests Faulkner's 1400m blow-out against El Perez and co on Saturday had done the trick.

"He's been very quiet since that run at Ellerslie," said Faulkner.

"Normally I'd give him two out of 10 for behaviour, but since Saturday he's been earning 11 out of 10."

The Rhythm seven-year-old may have nothing in the way of exposed hurdles form to recommend him, but Faulkner is adamant punters don't need a major leap of faith today.

Based on his schooling at home, Faulkner says: "There are not too many better jumpers around. He lives for jumping.

"If he's not in the first three at Avondale I'll be going home with my tail between my legs.

"My only one little query is his ability to stay. We've tried him over 2100m and 2200m at different stages of his career and he's been found wanting."

From the moment Faulkner first popped Grani over a few pony fences at the old Takanini training track he knew he was on to something special.

He's saddled handy hurdle winners before, including Roskill King, but even before he's gone one race-day round, Faulkner is labelling Grani "head and shoulders above them".

If Grani lives up to Faulkner's assessment, he'll back-up next on Paeroa's big jumping day on October 8.

Grani is the only runner keeping Faulkner's colours flying these days.

In fact, Faulkner is so disgruntled with finding reliable trackwork riders, the man with the Midas touch through the 1980s and early 1990s says he may go back to training standardbreds when Grani retires.

"At least that way I can just jump in the sulky and work them myself."

Old Sox is the other maiden hurdle puzzle for punters today.

Like Grani, he has no jumps trials form and is also coming off an open-grade failure at Ellerslie on Saturday when he also managed to beat just one horse home.

But that was over 2100m, not 1400m, and unlike Grani, he has proven he can run a middle distance.

Pukekohe co-trainer Kevin Hughes says Old Sox had his excuses for his last two misses when taken on in front.

Old Sox had shown enough in his schooling at home to be in with a chance. The six-year-old already has three wins at Avondale from just eight attempts.

"Everyone tells me Grani is going to win, but he [Old Sox] schools pretty good and should be a rough show of being in the money."