Racing: Winsloe eager to tackle Ellerslie

Kidunot (outer) outstayed Palemo (rails) at Oamaru. Photo / Matt Smith

Ellis Winsloe would love to return to the scene of Kidunot's greatest racing triumph.

However the Gore trainer is also worried about the lack of jumping opportunities for his 11-year-old between now and September.

Kidunot franked some handy jumping form this season with a brave win over the favourite, Palemo, at Oamaru on Monday, getting home by a head over the Kevin Myers-trained jumper.

The Gaius gelding won the 2009 Great Northern Hurdles but it has been tough going since then. In fact, it has been three years since Kidunot returned at the front of the field at Timaru in July 2010, but Monday was just his 10th start over the fences in 21 starts since the Timaru success.

Winsloe has been frustrated by the lack of chances over fences for Kidunot in this term, and has had to enter him in flat races in order to keep the fitness up.

"The jumping game's just not been there," Winsloe said. "We can't get starts for him on the flat because his rating's down so we've had to drag him to the bigger races at Waimate.

"He's had three goes over the jumps this year and they haven't been bad - a fourth, a second and a win."

Winsloe is looking at the Grand National carnival next week for Kidunot although a heavy track may not suit, but his mind is also partly on Ellerslie's jumping carnival in September.

"We'll go straight to the Grand National [Steeplechase] and I'd still like to go to the Northern again, where we've got more chance of a better track.

"But when we won the Great Northern last time, you could programme your horse. At the moment you can't programme for anything.

"The steeplechase is probably where I'd go. I don't know if hurdling is his go now - the steeplechase up there I wouldn't mind having a crack at."

Deceptive is on target for the Grand National Hurdle after a second behind stablemate What A Find in the Ron Williamson Hurdle.

What A Find picked up Deceptive in the final 100m to win by a neck, giving Omakau trainer Murray Hamilton a quinella in the event.

Hamilton said both jumpers would head to Riccarton for the Grand National carnival.

Deceptive will line up in the $70,000 Grand National Hurdle on August 7, while What A Find is being aimed at the 0-1 win hurdle on the second Saturday of the carnival (August 10).

Hamilton believes the latter's future could rest over the bigger fences, but a firm surface is preferable for the 6-year-old to show his best.

What A Find will face the other hurdle winner from Monday, Faites Vos Jeux, in the 0-1 win hurdle at Riccarton. She was an easy winner in the restricted open hurdle, pulling away to score by 4 lengths.

Her trainer David Hutton, of Timaru, said the mare would be spelled after Riccarton.