Jumper set to reach greater heights
Lord Spencer will be seen in a new role in the coming months with the bigger fences beckoning the well-performed Wanganui jumper.
The eight-year-old has done trainer JJ Rayner proud in recent seasons with his career highlight victory in the 2024 Great Northern Hurdle (4200m) and ran third in last year’s renewal, now known as the Great New Zealand Hurdle.
Also placed in a Waikato Hurdle (3200m), the hardy son of Zed will open a new campaign on Friday in the Lisa Latta Racing (1650m) at Waverley where he ran third when also resuming 12 months ago.
“He came back just after the New Year and was pottering around for a wee bit and he’s been to a few of the local horse sports,” Rayner said.
“I’m very happy with him and he had a gallop between races (at Wanganui) on Sunday with Chrissy Bambry’s Opawa Jack and he’s right on track.
“He’s had a jump-out at Levin as well and he’s ready to go a nice race on Friday. I don’t think he’ll be too far away, he always goes a nice race fresh.”
Safely through Waverley, Lord Spencer is likely to have another flat run at Wanganui on Saturday week before furthering his jumping career.
“He will go steeplechasing this year, he looks like a ‘chaser. He gets back and he can stay all day,” Rayner said.
The Grand National Steeplechase (5600m) and the Great New Zealand Steeplechase (6400m) loom as likely targets for the gelding.
Lord Spencer is a past winner at Riccarton where he also ran second in the 2024 Sydenham Hurdles (3100m) and was fourth in the Grand National Hurdles (4200m).
“Last year, we didn’t have much luck and when he got home he was sore with a stone bruise, that had been brewing and he had a cold so no wonder he didn’t fire,” Rayner said.
Stablemate Tutin Cans finished third in both his hurdle outings last campaign and will also resume in Friday’s jumpers’ highweight.
“I was really proud of him, he doesn’t concentrate on the flat and his head goes one way and his legs go the other,” Rayner said.
“As soon as the jumps are in front of him, it makes him concentrate so let’s hope he carries on that way.
“He’s coming along nicely as well and he’s done nothing wrong at all, he’s a year older than Lord Spencer so we should have started with him earlier.”
Lord Spencer will be ridden on Friday by his regular partner Lemmy Douglas while Joshua Parker takes the reins aboard Tutin Cans.
