Consistency pays off for Mont Ventoux
Capable flat performer Mont Ventoux scored a deserved maiden success over the fences in the Majestic Horse Floats Hurdles (3100m) at Te Aroha on Thursday.
Mont Ventoux collected seven victories during his flat-racing career including three at open grade, and since transitioning into the jumps role he had been the perennial bridesmaid with seven placings from nine attempts.
His consistent record for trainer Rudy Liefting placed the eight-year-old a seemingly-unbeatable favourite in Thursday’s contest at $1.20, and his experience was evident in the early stages as he out-jumped the remainder of the field to control proceedings.
Nick Downs, who scored a double on the card with promising hurdler Helena Baby, allowed Mont Ventoux to slide further in front nearing the 800m from the second favourite in Murphy, and his lead only continued to extend with the eventual margin 15.25 lengths.
Pukekohe-based Liefting was pleased to see the son of Nom Du Jeu collect his maiden with such dominance at the post.
“I was pretty happy, especially because he was still in a full gallop at the line. Sometimes you can win these races and be walking at the finish, but he was full of power,” he said.
“He has wilted at times in his races and been run over the last little bit, but he went to the line really strongly.
“Although he’s won three open handicaps on the flat, he took a while to win this maiden hurdle but he always ran in the top four up close, so it has been a bit frustrating, but he got there today.”
Liefting has utilised jump schooling as a tool in his training for years, a skill that assisted Mont Ventoux when making the switch.
“I always get my horses jumping from day one, in case they don’t come up on the flat. He did and won seven races, but we still did regular jumping with him and work on the farm as well,” Liefting said.
“When it did come to hurdling, it was just second nature to him.
“It teaches the horses to pick themselves up and think a little bit. A lot of them are just going to the track and following a rail around, but it gets them using their minds.
“We rotate their work a bit, we’ve got a pool and a walker and hills with some logs around, and they enjoy the change. I still go into the track every morning just to keep my riders going, Sarah Fisher does a lot of my trackwork and gallops and she does a great job.
“I’m in my mid-sixties now so I am tapering off a little bit, I’ve been doing it for about 25 years and I don’t really want to ride too many young horses, just to stay in one piece and be careful.
“I only do a couple, but I don’t mind schooling the jumpers, we were brought up in my era to do pony club, show jumping, and going to the hunts, so I’ve always just done it.”
Liefting has several options to consider for Mont Ventoux as the season progresses, but a shortage of jockeys may halt a journey to Trentham for the Wellington Hurdles (3400m) next month.
“I don’t know where we’ll go next because we don’t really know if we have a rider for him if we went down to Wellington,” he said.
“We may look for another meeting at Te Aroha closer to home and stick to that and look at something else further down the line.”
Riccarton Park holds many fond memories for Liefting, and a trip south for National Week is also a possibility.
“We may look at something like the Sydenham Hurdles or a 0-1 at Riccarton for him,” he said.
“We used to go down to Riccarton all the time for National Week, we took him down for the Winter Cup (Group 3, 1600m) a couple of times and he was a shade disappointing, but he couldn’t fly down and had a tough trip with ferry hold-ups,” he said.
“Just Got Home ran in the Grand National and Danza Lad ran third in the Winter Cup, and a long time ago I won the 1000 Guineas (Group 1, 1600m) with Justa Tad, so it’s been a very good track for me.
“The people are so friendly down there as well, and we always have enjoyed ourselves. We’ll definitely consider it.”