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Live sport on SN this weekendTop jumper returns to the flat ahead of Great New Zealand Steeplechase
Joshua Smith, LOVERACING.NZ News Desk • September 4th, 2026 2:15 pm
Lord Spencer will line-up in Saturday's NZB Airfreight Road To Jericho (3210m) at New Plymouth | Photo: Race Images South
Following his heroics in last month’s Grand National Steeplechase (5600m) at Riccarton, Lord Spencer will return to the flat at New Plymouth on Saturday in the NZB Airfreight Road To Jericho (3210m).
The JJ Rayner-trained gelding has been the standout jumper over winter, posting four successive steeplechase victories, including the Hawke’s Bay Steeplechase (4800m), Koral Steeplechase (4250m) and Grand National.
The Ben & Ryan Foote Racing Great New Zealand Steeplechase (6200m) at Te Aroha in a fortnight is Lord Spencer’s next main target, and Rayner felt a hit-out on the flat over ground was a better lead in option than Thursday’s Pakuranga Hunt Cup (4300m), which was taken out by Smug.
“He has come back this time better than ever. He ate everything while he was away and drank everything, and he is as a bright as a button,” Rayner said. “He had a week off when he got home from Christchurch.
“If he happened to win the Pakuranga, he was going to get a heck of a lot more weight, so we thought we would give him this run on the flat and go from there.”
While the NZB Airfreight Road To Jericho is an important steppingstone towards the Great New Zealand Steeplechase, Rayner said she wouldn’t be surprised to see him feature in the finish tomorrow.
“He doesn’t go too bad on the flat, so I am expecting quite a nice run,” she said.
The winner of Saturday’s race gains a berth in the A$304,000 Jericho Cup (4600m) at Warrnambool in November, and while that is unlikely to be on the cards for Lord Spencer, Rayner said he may head across the Tasman next year to take on their topflight jumpers.
“I don’t know about that (Jericho Cup), but you never know,” Rayner said. “We will see what he does but he could head there (Australia) next year for some races, that would be great. We will just see how he goes. We will get through the Northern and make a plan.”
Rayner is also set to line-up stablemate Tutin Cans in the Jude Challies Property Brokers Tararua Hurdles (3000m) at Woodville on Sunday.
The 10-year-old gelding won a maiden hurdle at Trentham in June before being pulled up on two occasions because of foot problems but returned to form when placing in an open hurdle over 3000m at Woodville last month.
Rayner believes she has got on top of his foot issues, and she expects another bold showing this weekend.
“I was pleased with his run last time,” Rayner said. “The two times he has pulled up he had issues with a bruised foot and we thought we had him right and he wasn’t.
“I was quite confident going into last time that the foot was fine and he ran a really lovely race. When everything is right, he runs a nice race.
“He seems fine and he is fit and ready to go. I am hoping he will go quite a nice race on Sunday, even though it is a pretty good field."
