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Dictation seeking redemption in Sydenham Hurdles
Joshua Smith, LOVERACING.NZ News Desk • July 31st, 2025 10:38 am
Dictation will contest Saturday's Avon City Ford Sydenham Hurdles (3100m) at Riccarton Park | Photo: Race Images South
Dictation will be looking for redemption when he heads to Riccarton Park on Saturday to contest the Avon City Ford Sydenham Hurdles (3100m).
The son of Tavistock had the race all but won last year, leading by five lengths with one hurdle to go, but he stumbled over the last, dislodging jockey Hamish McNeill.
Trainers Paul Nelson and Corrina McDougal were disappointed to lose the race at the final hurdle, and they are keen to rectify that result 12 months later.
“He should have won it last year, but hopefully he can come up with the same sort of run this year without ballsing up the last fence,” Nelson said.
The rising nine-year-old gelding takes good form into the race, having won last month’s Waikato Hurdle (3200m) at Te Rapa, and was kept up to the mark with a 2200m run on the flat at Arawa Park earlier this month.
Dictation will be joined in his race by stablemate Suliman, with the rising 13-year-old son of Redwood set to have his first start at Riccarton since the Grand National Hurdles (4200m) two years ago.
He pleased his connections with his fourth placed run in the Hawke’s Bay Hurdles (3000m) at Woodville earlier this month and Nelson is looking forward to returning to Riccarton with the evergreen jumper.
“His run at Woodville was good, he made up a lot of ground, and we thought we would give him one more go at the hurdles,” he said.
The stable will also have a two-pronged attack in the Racecourse Hotel & Motor Lodge Koral Steeplechase (4250m), headlined by former star hurdler Nedwin.
The rising 12-year-old son of Niagara has had just the two steeplechase starts, winning his maiden steeplechase at Te Rapa in May before running third in the Waikato Steeplechase (3900m) last month.
He then returned to the hurdles when third in the Wellington Hurdle (3200m), and Nelson has elected to target the bigger fences with his gelding in Christchurch following a 1950m hit out on the flat at Arawa Park.
“It was always in our plan (Koral and Grand National Steeplechases), we didn’t want to run him at Wellington (in a steeplechase),” Nelson said.
“He has been doing what we have asked him, so he can’t do much more than that.”
He will be joined in the Koral by stablemate The Anarchist, who has finished third and fourth respectively in the Wellington and Hawke’s Bay Steeplechases.
“He is a funny old horse, but he has been alright in his last couple of races. He hits a flat spot and then he gets going again,” Nelson said.
“We have got a change of rider because Emily Farr is not going to be here next weekend, so Ellie Callwood is riding.”
The stable’s final runner at the meeting will be Skaw Valley, who will contest the Michael “Mickey” Beecroft Memorial Maiden Hurdles (3100m).
“In his first run (over hurdles) he was learning a bit and the track was pretty tough on him,” Nelson said. “In his second run he was very good, he made up a hell of a lot of ground, and hopefully he can do something like that on Saturday.” – LOVERACING.NZ News Desk
