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Michael Mitchell will be hoping to open his jumping account for the new season in style at Riccarton on Wednesday.
The English jockey will combine with the in-form Zenocoin in the hunt for another prestige race victory in the Hospitality New Zealand Canterbury Grand National Hurdles.
“He’s looking very well and I don’t think the extra distance will worry him at all,” Mitchell said.
“It’s just a case of getting him relaxed and settled and into a nice rhythm.”
Mitchell, who is attached to Graeme and Debbie Rogerson’s stable, has enjoyed a good association with Zenocoin and two starts back they triumphed in the Hawke’s Bay Hurdles before they finished runners-up at Te Rapa.
“He ran a good race considering the weight he had to carry,” Mitchell said.
Zenocoin lumped 71.5kg into second behind Venerate, who was in receipt of six kilos, and he hasn’t missed a beat since.
“He should go really well at Christchurch and I think the one to watch out for will be Prestigiosa – they have similar racing tactics and it will be interesting, but my horse has a lot of class about him,” Mitchell said.
The Kevin Myers-trained Prestigiosa was an impressive winner of the Sydenham Hurdles on the opening day of the carnival.
“You couldn’t get a better trial and she was just trucking around the turn - she looked to be doing it pretty easily,” stable representative Ken Harrison said.
Isaac Luton will again ride the grey mare while Matt Gillies, who pipped Mitchell for the 2013-14 jumps jockeys’ premiership, will partner stablemate Houndscry.
A two-time winner over fences and a minor placegetter in both the Awapuni and Wellington Hurdles, he caught the eye with his late finish for fourth on the flat last Saturday.