'Tis The Season ...

Jumps season is upon us, and Te Akau Racing is to the fore on both sides of the Tasman.

From Te Akau's Cranbourne stable in Victoria, trainer Mark Walker had six wins and four seconds from 13 starts over fences last season, shared two wins apiece by Prismatic (Savabeel), The Mighty Spar (Savabeel), and  Leaderboard (Street Cry), the former Wellington Cup (Gr. 3, 3200m) and St Leger (Listed, 2600m) winner - Leaderboard then followed his jumps' wins by finishing third in the Thackeray Steeplechase (3450m), third in the Grand National Hurdle (4200m), and second in the Grand National Steeplechase (4500m).

Leaderboard was on song again this season leading up to the Warrnambool Carnival, with wins a week apart in the Open Steeplechase 3250m on 6 April at Ballarat, and the J. E. H. Spencer Memorial Steeplechase (4000m) at Pakenham.

Racing at the peak of his powers heading into the Brierley Steeplechase (3450m) at Warrnambool, where he has a terrific course record, Leaderboard fell when mounting pressure to the leader, and forewent the Grand Annual Steeplechase (5500m) a couple of days later. However Walker had him back to his best with a top performance last start for second in the Australian Steeplechase (3900m).

Leaderboard is now preparing for the Thackeray Steeplechase (3450m) on 6 July at Warrnambool, Grand National Hurdle (4200m) on 3 August at Sandown, and Grand National Steeplechase (4500m) on 17 August at Ballarat.

As well as Leaderboard, Walker has another emerging jumping star this season in The Mighty Spar, who made it consecutive steeplechase wins when taking out the Bill Roycroft Steeplechase (3200m) on 15 June at Terang (Victoria).

At his previous start, on 18 May, The Mighty Spar made it two from two in steeplechases at Casterton, and he returns there on 29 June for the Open Steeplechase (3800m) and again on 27 July, which could then lead to him contesting loftier assignments. 

Before leaving New Zealand, The Mighty Spar had won a Maiden Hurdle at Te Rapa, and finished third in the Hawkes Bay Hurdle (3100m), and since then his career has continued to flourish with a further four wins over fences. 

“It was a great win by The Mighty Spar last Sunday and there’s two steeplechases coming up at his favourite course (Casterton), so he’ll target those races where he loves the live fences,” Walker said.

“Leaderboard pulled up really well from his recent second in the Australian Steeplechase (3900m), where he went so close, and we’ve mapped out the same path for him as last season.

“And, Prismatic, he was a little bit unlucky not to win last Sunday at Terang, but he’s jumping and racing well and will now contest a Benchmark Steeplechase (3450m) on 6 July at Warrnambool.”

On the home front, Walker and training partner Sam Bergerson had four-time winner Hayate (Maurice) finish fourth in her jumps' debut over hurdles last Saturday (14 June) at Te Rapa, while Fierce Flight (Flying Artie), the winner of six races including the Hawkes Bay Cup (Listed, 2200m), and four-time winner Malborough Bay (Darci Brahma), had Maiden Hurdle trials through the week at Cambridge, in readiness to make their jumping debuts.  

“We really enjoy having the jumpers and they’re going well, but we’ve only got a small team,” Walker added.

“We find that the jumpers are also very much dual purpose, as they’re a massive help when it comes to educating the yearlings and they go out and work with them most days. They help to give the yearlings confidence while they’re learning.”

Main picture: The Mighty Spar winning last weekend