Weir a big player in feature jumps race

Leading trainer Darren Weir has the horses to be competitive in all forms of racing.

It doesn’t matter if it’s a sprint race, a middle distance or a staying race, Weir is there.

And the same goes for jumps racing.

Of his 14 winners at the Warrnambool carnival earlier this month, three were over jumps.

Two of those winners, Renew and Try Four, are nominated for the Australian Hurdle at Sandown on Saturday while he has Now And Zen entered for the Australian Steeplechase.

Now And Zen is the only confirmed runner with John Allen to ride while Renew and Try Four will be acceptors for the hurdle with decisions made later in the week.

Now And Zen made his steeplechase debut when second to Zed Em in the Brierly Steeplechase on the opening day of the Warrnambool carnival and has since had a flat run at Cranbourne.

But jumping is his forte and Now And Zen kept his eye in with a steeple school win at Ballarat last week.

“He’s in good order,” Weir said.

“He’s done well since Warrnambool and had a nice school last week.”

Weir said he may have erred in running Renew in the Listed Andrew Ramsden Stakes in which the gelding finished seventh to De Little Engine at Flemington on Saturday.

A winner of the feature Galleywood Hurdle at Warrnambool, Weir said Renew came through Saturday’s run well, but was disappointed in the effort.

“I didn’t know whether he could win but I thought he’d run a lot better,” Weir said.

“I’ll accept with him but whether he runs I don’t know just yet. We’ll see how he does during the week.

“I wish I didn’t run him as it’s turned out.”

Try Four is unbeaten in his only three hurdle starts and is coming off a win at Warrnambool on the final day of the carnival.

He’s since had an easy time in a Ballarat hurdle school last week, but the weather will decide whether he starts on Saturday.

“He’s in good order but needs a wet track,” Weir said.

“We’ll make up our minds on whether he runs a bit later.”

Weir will also have a team at the feature Brisbane meeting on Saturday including Black Heart Bart in the Group One Kingsford Smith Cup..