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The decision to send Supercharged south last season proved a lucrative move and the nine-year-old has continued his good form since his return to the care of part-owner Wayne Hillis.
Canterbury trainer Ross Beckett, who also has a share in the jumper, prepared him to win $20,000 hurdle events at Riverton and at Wingatui (twice) through May and June as well as a placing in the Sydenham Hurdles.
He lost his rider in the Grand National Hurdles when a clear second 1800 metres from home before he returned home to Hillis’ Matamata stable.“We sent him down to the South Island and he capitalised on a few small fields and the National carnival was the last jumps meeting down there,” Hillis said. “We’ve had a good run with him.”
The gelding will step out in Sunday’s Sweeney Townsend & Associates-Rotorua & Bay of Plenty Hunt Cup after an unplaced effort two starts back, which was followed by a second placing in an Ellerslie steeplechase.“It was a good run the other day and luckily it was a loose track – the start before it was sticky and he didn’t handle it,” Hillis said.
Supercharged will also provide rider Reece Cole with an opportunity to post the first winner of his fledgling career.“He’s only just kicking off and he does a bit of jumping work for us,” Hillis said. “He’s had a couple of placings and he’ll be able to get a bit of weight (three kilos) off the horse’s back.”
The stable will also be represented in the Rating 65 Pearce Flooring 1200 by fresh runner Dezignator, who has been gelded since last racing.He showed promise last season with a debut win on the Arawa Park circuit and two runs later he ran fourth in the Gr.3 Wellington Stakes behind current Gr.1 Caulfield Cup hope Lucia Valentina.