Rayner returns to Te Rapa with Great Northern hero
Richard Edmunds - Raceform • May 23rd, 2025 12:30 PM • 3 min read
Saturday’s Jones Trucking Hurdle at Te Rapa will bring Lord Spencer and his Wanganui trainer JJ Rayner back to the scene of an unforgettable triumph.
The $40,000 race will be Lord Spencer’s first start over hurdles since the $150,000 Great Northern Hurdle at Te Rapa in September, where the Zed gelding produced a stunning finish from the back of the field to record a $28 upset win.
“Going back to Te Rapa this weekend is definitely going to bring back some nice memories, that’s for sure,” Rayner said. “That was a very special day.”
Lord Spencer has had a total of 14 starts over hurdles for two wins, four seconds and four thirds. Those hurdles performances have earned him $154,225 out of his overall earnings of $180,665.
The seven-year-old has returned to action this autumn with three runs on the flat. He finished third in Rating 60 handicaps over 1650 metres at Wanganui and 2100 metres at Waverley, then finished a last-start 10th over 2200 metres at Trentham on May 10.
“He put in a couple of really nice runs on the flat to kick off his campaign,” Rayner said. “He was a bit off last time out, but that’s him. Everything is always on his terms. It’s his way or the highway.
“But I’m really pleased with how he’s been doing everything this time in, and I’m looking forward to lining him up over hurdles on Saturday.
“It’s shaping up to be a fine week, so it’ll probably be a pretty good track at Te Rapa on Saturday. I don’t think that will worry him. But it’s not going to be easy against a very nice field. I think Shaun Fannin’s horse (Fourty Eight) will be hard to beat, and Lauren Brennan’s horse (English Gambler) isn’t easy to catch if he runs along in front.
“But as long as our horse is doing his best work at the end, I’ll be happy and it’ll set him up nicely for the Waikato Hurdle (on June 14).”
The Shaun and Hazel Fannin-trained Fourty Eight is an exciting prospect, boasting four wins from only 15 starts to date. He has won four times on the flat, including a five-length romp in a highweight at Hawera last Sunday, and his two starts over hurdles have produced a win and a second placing.
