Grand National Hurdle day at Flemington

The feature races at Flemington on Saturday are the marathon jumps events of the Grand National Hurdle over 4350 metres and the Crisp Steeple over 4000 metres.

The track should be perfect for jumps racing with showers forecast Thursday evening and Friday before a fine sunny Saturday, to give the jumpers some give in the ground without making it boggy.

 Injuries to Some Are Bent and Emgee Rex have weakened the field for the $250,000 Grand National Hurdle and weights have been raised by 2.5kg with the minimum weight now 65kg, although the topweight Frenzilian is only 1kg above this with 66kg. There is a field of 13 plus an emergency.

Early favourite is the David Hayes trained Danever who won his maiden hurdle race and was well-fancied in the Australian Hurdle before losing his rider at the last fence after looking a place chance. Second favourite is Charted trained by Kathryn Durden at Geelong. He will be ridden by her husband Craig Durden who has won this race twice before on Moon Chase in 1998 and Marlborough in 1999.

Frenzilian is expected to improve his last-start fourth in the Australian Hurdle after winning a Cranbourne steeplechase trial on Monday. Other horses under double figures are Pasco, Go And Get, Eveready and Derringer who is the oldest in the field at nine years of age.

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