Grand National Hurdle target for Affluential

Affluential may not have the same flat ability as his older sister, but one thing he can do is jump.

Trainer John Leek (Jnr) has transformed Affluential into one of the state’s up-and-coming jumpers and he will put that on show in the Grand National Hurdle (4200m) at Sandown on Sunday.

Affluential is the younger brother of Melbourne Cup winner Verry Elleegant, but he does not possess the same flat ability as his older sibling.

Verry Elleegant was an 11-time Group 1 winner who won her first race in New Zealand as three-year-old while Affluential started his career with Adam Durant in Perth and after nine starts was sent to Leek Jnr with a career as a jumper in mind.

The gelding started showing some flat ability when stepped up in distance with Leek Jnr, but did not break through for his maiden win until scoring over jumps at Pakenham in April.

That sent Affluential on a winning spree, both on the flat and over jumps, with flat wins at Cranbourne, Werribee and Bendigo before a last start second over 3100m at Warrnambool, while the gelding also secured hurdle wins at Warrnambool and in a restricted race at Sandown on June 2, the last time Affluential raced over jumps.

But the gelding did have a hurdle school at Pakenham last month to keep his eye in, finishing second over 2800m.

Leek Jnr knows what it takes to win the National, preparing Team Heritage to take the time-honoured race in 2004 at his third run over obstacles.

Those three hurdle victories came in the space of nine days, a maiden win at Mornington followed two days later by success at Moonee Valley and then a week later in the National at Flemington.

The jumps scene is different now with the races well-spaced, but Leek Jnr said Affluential was a highly progressive jumper.

“That was the plan for him when he came here, to run in the good jumps’ races and to see if he was any good,” Leek Jnr said.

“And he goes alright.”

Leek is not concerned about Affluential having not had a recent hurdle start.

“The flat racing has got him fit and he jumps well.”