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Grand National plans for Liefting pair
Joshua Smith, LOVERACING.NZ News Desk • April 22nd, 2025 1:10 pm
Photo: Kenton Wright Race Images
Mont Ventoux and Renegade Fighter performed with distinction over fences last year and trainer Rudy Liefting is hoping for similar performances this time in.
The South Auckland trainer is set to kick-off their winter preparations at Pukekohe on Wednesday, with an eye to towards a trip south to Riccarton for the Grand National Festival of Racing in August.
“I thought I would give them a run at home and get a run into them because it’s not easy getting them fit these days,” Liefting said.
“I might try and get them to Riccarton for the Grand National this year. I decided not to last year, but now they are up in the ratings, and I have got to get to those bigger ones nowadays.”
Mont Ventoux, the winner of seven races on the flat, had his first full season over hurdles last year and pleased with his consistent form line, which included two wins and eight placings from 10 starts, highlighted by his runner-up performance behind Lord Spencer in the Great Northern Hurdle (4200m).
“He is a good hurdler,” Liefting said. “He was a seven-win horse on the flat, so you would expect a little bit. I get them jumping when they are young, so it’s like second nature to them.
“He looks better than ever, he looks tremendous.”
Mont Ventoux will kick-off his preparation in the Join TAB Racing 1600, where he will benefit from apprentice jockey Hayley Hassman’s four-kilogram claim, bringing his impost down to 59kg.
“Hayley looks to be a good, up-and-coming apprentice,” Liefting said. “She used to keep a couple of ponies at my place before she got into racing. She looks like she has got a bright future.”
Stablemate Renegade Fighter had a pleasing jumps season last term, which included victory in the Rotorua BOP Hunt Cup (3500m) and running fourth in the Great Northern Steeplechase (6500m).
“I had a bit of a torrid time getting riders for him (last year),” Liefting said. “I was dictated to a bit. I couldn’t run him where I wanted to because I could only get riders for him in certain races. I had to run him once in a hurdle and once on the flat. I knew all he had to do was get to a maiden steeplechase and he would be a good chance.
“He hasn’t won a maiden steeplechase, when he did get conditions to suit that was the Rotorua Hunt Cup. He has raced out of his grade right the way through.”
Renegade Fighter will contest the Dunstan Horsefeeds 2100 on Wednesday and Liefting his excited about the 10-year-old’s prospects this term.
“He is an out-and-out stayer, that is why I have got him in a staying race first-up tomorrow,” he said. “The longer the trip and the heavier the ground the better.”
Liefting will also head to his home meeting with three-year-old gelding Smart Deco, who will make his raceday debut in the Auckland Co-op Taxis 1400.
He is the son of eight-win mare Art Deco, who placed in the Gr.3 Taranaki Breeders’ Stakes (1400m), Gr.3 Boehringer Ingelheim (1550m), and Listed Tauranga Classic (1400m).
“His best trials have been on heavy ground,” Liefting said. “His mother was a good winter mare who was Group placed, and all her form was on Heavy ground. You would think that he is going to prefer winter tracks, and that is why we have set him up for the winter.”
