Yamanin Vital legacy continues

The legacy of Yamanin Vital continued when Upper Cut won the $75,000 New Zealand Grand National Steeplechase on Saturday (13/08/2016) and Second Innings won two hurdles races at the Grand National meeting at Riccarton. Yamanin Vital died in October, 2009 after standing for 12 years at White Robe Lodge. His progeny included the G1 winners Who Shot Thebarman (Auckland Cup and Zipping Classic and $1.6million in stakes), Herculian Prince (Metropolitan Handicap), Cut The Cake (NZ Derby).  Also Trebla (NZ Cup), Cluden Creek (Wellington Cup), Hypnotize (Great Northern Steeple three times), Counter Punch (NZ Grand National Steeple twice), Inferno (Canterbury Gold Cup twice), Climbing High (Waikato  and two Hawkes's Bay Steeples), Ready Eddie (Waikato Hurdles), Yamanaura (Australian Hurdles) and Yourtheman (NZ Grand National Hurdles). Upper Cut was bred by the late Jim and Shirley Murray, of Mosgiel. Jim was veterinarian for WRL for 52 years and saved champion sire Noble Bijou after after he shattered a pastern in 1979. Jim constructed a metal support for the injured leg. Jim died on November, 2011 at the age of 80. He bought Volucidate, the dam of Upper Cut, for $1000 in the broodmare section of the 2005 South Island sale. An unraced daughter of Volksraad - Elucidate and half-sister to two minor winners, she had left two foals but had not been served for two years. He bred a filly by Yamanin Vital from Volucidate after she left Upper Cut, her only progeny to race.  Upper Cut is trained at Awapuni by Mark Oulaghan, who also prepared Counter Punch (the National Steeple winner in 2010 and 11), Deecee Seven (1997 and 98) and Yourtheman. Upper Cut was ridden by Australian jockey Paul Hamblin. Oulaghan is the most successful trainer in the history of the National with his five wins. He races Upper Cup with Aroha Duncan, Jim Speedy, of Feilding,   Michael Ormsby, of Hastings and Warren Scott, of Feilding. The first four owners also raced Counter Punch.

Oulaghan bought Upper Cut from the Murrays as an unbroken 3yr-old and he was broken in at Wingatui by Paul Richards. "It was about the time of Counter Punch and I approached Brian (Anderton) about another Yamanin Vital and he put me on to Upper Cut, who was in the paddock. We bought him sight unseen,'' recalled Mark. "Jim didn't cash the cheque (purchase price) for a long time and when we inquired why we were told he wanted to see if the horse would be alright when broken in.''

Mark said Upper Cut will now attempt the Northern Steeple.

Second Innings is trained at Hastings by Paul Nelson, who races him with breeders and valued WRL clients, G O and J D Sherratt. Second Innings is the second of two foals left the Allegation, a mare by Corrupt.

The resident WRL stallion Gallant Guru was represented by the flat winner at the GN meeting Rumpelstiltskin (ex Ima Royal), owned and trained at Invercargill by Jim Curran.  Raise The Flag's daughter, Cristallo, ran on well, for second over 2000m the last day, after a chequered run on the first day of the meeting.