The winner of this Premier Grand National Hurdle (4200m) was the second favourite The Cossack that carried 68.5kg and scored by twelve and a half lengths in 5:26.19. His hurdle form has been incredible and now of his six hurdle wins four of them have come in Premier events (he also has won the Great Northern Hurdle (4190m) at Ellerslie, the Waikato Hurdle (3200m) at Te Rapa and the Wellington Hurdle (3100m and held at Hastings this year). The winners and where they came from on the home turn were led (one-off the inside and two lengths in front), second (one-off the inside and two lengths from the leader), led (thirteen-off the inside and a length in front), fifth (five-off the inside and length and a half from the leader), led (five-off the inside and four lengths in front), led (one-off the inside and two lengths in front), led (on the inside fence and one-length in front), led (on the inside fence and two lengths in front), sixth (five-off the inside and three lengths from the leader) and led (on the inside fence and a length in front). The track today was once again a Heavy11 but the bias towards the inside was massive with eight of the ten winners leading on the home turn and of them six were on the fence or no worse than one-off. The Cossack has now had eleven Hurdle starts for six wins, four placings and a fourth. Since resuming in July of last year he had six runs for three Hurdle wins including the Premier Great Northern Hurdle at Ellerslie. This year he has had five runs for three Hurdle wins and all of them have been at a Premier level so jumping is his forte and look out when he is put over the bigger fences too. Today he raced third and was cruising then took then front 1000m out and had them on toast thereafter. Runner up was Aigne that raced fourth then went up third 1000m out and reached second turning for home but the winner kept increasing his margin of success thereafter. Aigne is a serious jumper that has won four Hurdle events and he has in fact yet to miss the top three in nine Hurdle outings but he must be getting sick of The Cossack as his three Premier Hurdle outings have all been placings behind that runner. Third home was Richard Of Yorke that set the pace then got headed 1000m out and was third turning for home and very distant at the post when beaten twenty-four and a half lengths. The only other runner to finish the race was Beau Geste that raced fifth mostly then was left fourth at the third to last fence when the favourite Chief Sequoyah fell. He was beaten thirty-four and a half lengths. The false favourite Chief Sequoyah ($2.20) was last early then improved gradually and was fourth down the backstraight before struggling and losing his rider at the third to last fence. He has tackled two Premier Hurdle races so far for a distant fourth and a lost rider and both have been won easily by The Cossack. The winner The Cossack will soon be weighted out of Hurdle events if not already but when he tackles Steeplechasing then look out as he stays all day and jumps like a stag.