This Prestige Great Northern Hurdle (4900m) saw the three favourites form the trifecta and consistency get rewarded for Bad Boy Brown, a Central Districts raider. The track at Ellerslie was an awful bog with an Open Handicap mudder taking over 1:35 for the 1400m and a Benchmark 82 winner over the mile almost needing 1:50 to score. The winners and where they turned for home in race order were led (four-off the inside and a length ahead), fourth (three-off the inside and three lengths from the leader), led (six-off the inside and a length ahead), fifth (three-off the inside and a length and a half from the leader), led (seven-off the inside and four lengths ahead), co-leader (two-off the inside), fifth (two-off the inside and two and a half lengths from the leader), led (five-off the inside and three lengths ahead) and led (four-off the inside and a length ahead). Bad Boy Brown had finished second in his last three hurdle runs and two of them came in Prestige events so he was due a winning turn. Interestingly the same trifecta from the Prestige Wellington Hurdle (3400m) happened today albeit in a different order. Bad Boy Brown raced fifth or fourth then challenged wide across the top and took the lead with 600m to go only to have a lone threat and be co-leader turning for home. The 8yo was headed at the 300m but dug deep and came back to regain the lead at the 100m and scored by a neck in 5:27.73, the fourth slowest time this century. It was the ninth win in forty-six starts for Bad Boy Brown and four of those have been as a hurdler plus he should be back next year to defend his crown. In seven runs at 3000m or more he has won three times and finished runner up three times and pulled up once (saddle slipped), so stamina is not an issue. Laekeeper settled back eighth then improved fourth wide across the top and strode up fast to challenged for the lead turning for home. He got the front narrowly at the 300m before being headed with 100m to go though too his credit he never gave in and fought hard to the line. The winning difference was clearly that he carried 3kg more than his conqueror. Laekeeper was third in this last year with 66kg and today a very close second with 68.5kg. No Tip ended up a very distant third after racing fifth mostly then reaching third across the top but he could not stay with the top two and turned for home fourth. He reached third again in a big gap at the 200m and just held that position at the line being over fifteen lengths from the winner. Magic Cannon won a maiden hurdle before today so was getting deep ended here and after racing a distant second or third weakened compared to the first two over the line but almost got third money. Delegate was the only other runner to finish and was thirty-three lengths away after settling back and never looking a possibility. The rest were pulled up across the top or before the second to last or last fence. The superiority of the first two home and both being 8yo jumpers ensures they will see each other again many times next year and likely here again too. This field had a bit of depth too it though the footing presented and the trip found out many in the end. You could get this field or a stronger one if the Great Northern weekend was restored back too its Queen's Birthday weekend date in early June as the Steeplechase is really struggling as well for a serious field since the ill-thought out date move. Great Northern weekend can be great again but not while in an out of place Spring date, as it is a Winter jumps feature double and the error of June to September never made any common sense and still does not. Until it becomes a Winter feature jumps race weekend again then the fields will continue to get weaker plus jumps racing is always under pressure to survive from animal rights protestors. One day they will get decent Spring footing for the shifted to September weekend of Great Northern's and all the wet track jumpers will be in peril as nothing makes them more tired and prone to error than when they are going too fast on top of ground.