San Remo becomes a Grand National hero

Trainer Dane Smith could not have asked for a better birthday present than the one San Remo presented at Sandown.

As Smith contemplated birthday celebrations after turning 53 on Sunday, San Remo stormed home to claim the Grand National Hurdle (4200m) at Sandown to give the trainer his biggest success.

Smith did win the Listed Ballarat Cup with Mujadale in 2014 but wins in big races like Sunday’s race have been few and far between.

With Aaron Kuru aboard, San Remo ($18) stormed home to claim a two-length win from early leader Count Zero ($16) with the $3.50 Picklebet favourite Bedford a further 1-¼ lengths away third.

San Remo has been on display throughout the 2023 jumps season which kicked off at Terang in March and Smith hopes to get the gelding to the final meeting at Ballarat on August 27.

“He’s having a gun season. He’s a happy horse, in a happy place,” Smith said.

“He won the first jumps race of the year and he’s going for the last one as well (Grand Natioinal Steeplechase on August 27) and I can’t wait for Ballarat.”

Smith switched his attention to hurdling through this season after San Remo lost confidence over the bigger jumps following a fall in the 2022 Grand Annual Steeplechase at Warrnambool.

For Kuru, it was his second win in the Grand National Hurdle having scored aboard Tallyho Twinkletoe in 2019 before that jumper went on to win the Grand National Steeplechase at Ballarat three weeks later.

Kuru said he had to thank Smith for holding off on finding another rider for San Remo.

“We were trying to get onto something else in this race, but he waited,” Kuru said.

“I’m glad he waited, I’m glad I got on.

“He ran second in the Australian Hurdle, so we knew he liked the track and long straight, and he was always going to wind up and get home.”

At the second last jump there were seven horses stretched across the track while there were still five or six chances at the last obstacle.

“I found myself in an awful spot throughout,” Kuru said.

“I was never comfortable, but the horse was always comfortable, and he was jumping super but there was just a wall of horses, so I elected to go back to the inside.

“Once I got to the inside he really let down, it was a massive thrill and I’m so stoked for Dane, his family and everyone involved.”

Kuru was later fined $4000 by Racing Victoria stewards for using the whip 13 times before the 100m mark, three more than the permitted threshold.