Racing: Welcome victory for pair

Photo / iStock

Rudy and Megan Liefting received a timely boost at Hastings where their well-performed jumper Just Got Home opened his winter account.

The Pukekohe couple had the recent misfortune to lose their promising mare A Tad Leica, who had to be put down after an incident in the tie-up stalls at Awapuni.

"We still haven't got over it," Megan Liefting said.

However, Just Got Home's victory in yesterday's Te Whangai Romney's Hawke's Bay Hurdle put smiles back on their faces.

"That was terrific and we were quite confident, although you can never obviously be 100 per cent sure in this game," Liefting said.

"The weight was a key - he hasn't carried 67kg for a couple of years."

The eight-year-old Just Got Home settled behind the pace yesterday before moving into contention across the top.

He neatly cleared the final flight in front and drew clear to score by three and a half lengths to give his Welsh-born jockey Emily Farr her most important success.

"Well done to Emily, that was a perfect ride," Liefting said.

The Grand National and Great Northern Hurdles have already been ruled out for Just Got Home, who is likely to make his next appearance in the Wellington Hurdles, a race he won in 2014, at Trentham in a fortnight.

Race favourite, Ooee, ridden by Aaron Kuru who led two fences from home, finished second for local trainer Paul Nelson.

Wee Biskit made steady ground from the tail of the field for third for Matthew Cropp.

- NZ Racing Desk