Has any jockey ever won both the Hawke's Bay Guineas and the Hawke's Bay Steeplechase in the same season? It's a double Jonathan Riddell has a strong chance of completing tomorrow aboard the locally trained Proposition.

As has already been mentioned so many times, Riddell has had an amazing season. His $3,294,883 in prize money puts him clearly in first place among New Zealand jockeys, almost $500,000 clear of record-breaking apprentice James McDonald.

It's been Riddell's exploits on the flat, and particularly aboard Hawke's Bay champion Jimmy Choux, that have been responsible for most of those earnings. But for much of the last decade Riddell was exclusively a jumps rider.

Despite the fact that flat racing is now his priority, Riddell showed he had lost none of his jumps riding prowess in guiding Proposition to an outstanding win in the Manawatu Steeplechase in mid-June.

That event marked a reunion of the Paul Nelson-Jonathan Riddell pairing that had achieved so much success in jumps features throughout New Zealand over the past decade. That includes a Hawke's Bay Steeplechase in 2005, when the great No Hero bounded away to win by eight-and-a-half lengths.

That horse probably remains Nelson's greatest jumper, certainly in recent years.

But Proposition's talent is clear for all to see. He's already won five steeplechases, including a 25-length McGregor Grant win.

His last-start Manawatu Steeplechase win showed he was right back to his best after an injury-plagued 2010, and he looks a tremendous chance of scoring a hometown victory here tomorrow on the way towards a crack at the Grand National in August.

A talented group of seven other horses is set to line up against Proposition, and perhaps the most dangerous of those is the unpredictable Climbing High. On a good day he's one of the best steeplechasers in the country, having won than $126,862 and five races over the big fences. But on other days his basic jumping skills desert him - he's failed to finish three major steeplechase events in which he started as one of the favourites. He appears to thrive at Hastings, though, having won the Hawke's Bay Steeplechase in 2009 and finished second in it last year. The Heavy 11 track may cause problems, but Climbing High is an immensely talented jumper who must be respected.

Three of the other runners in the race all come from the same stable - that of Taranaki trainer John Wheeler. Possibly the most interesting of those is Tobouggie Nights who, at five, is only half the age of some of his rivals here. But he's got the talent to overcome his inexperience. His first attempt at open grade, in the Manawatu Steeplechase last start, saw him run a highly meritorious second and finish 21 lengths ahead of the third placegetter. It may still be a year too soon for him to win one of these big steeplechase events, but he's a potential star of the future.

The field for the Hawke's Bay Hurdles is headed by Great Northern Hurdle winner Mount Sinai, who roared back to his best form with a nine-length win in the K S Browne Hurdle last start. Trained by Ken Browne's widow, Ann, Mount Sinai is a highly underrated jumper who will take some catching here. The major threats might come from his stablemate, Big Brownie, or from Karlos, Harvest The Gold or the Nelson-trained Ho Down.

Former top hurdler Spirit Of Alaton is up to taking this race out at his best. He's twice finished second in the Hawke's Bay Hurdles in the past. But he's 12 now and hasn't won a race in more than a year. The feature flat race on the card, the National Service Club Sprint, sees the return to Hawke's Bay of one of our favourites - Fritzy Boy.

On his previous visits to Hastings, Fritzy Boy has won the Group 1 Mudgway and been placed in another Mudgway, a Windsor Park Plate and a Hawke's Bay Guineas.

He's unquestionably the class horse of this field.

Selections

Race 1: Krystal Trumps, Hoover Boy, Betty's Boy

Race 2: Brompton, Black Lambo, Criss Cross

Race 3: Thomond Park, Bally Heights, Whisper To Me

Race 4: Mount Sinai, Ho Down, Big Brownie

Race 5: Auld Lang Syne, Intransigent, De Lago Dancer

Race 6: Tedriffic, Montezuma, Gladstone

Race 7: Proposition, Climbing High, Tobouggie Nights

Race 8: I Am Sam, Fritzy Boy, Matost

Race 9: Delecta Dreims, Bar Keeper, D'Goldie

Race 10: Simpre Arriba, Tricatchme, Purple Haze

Sourced from: http://www.hawkesbaytoday.co.nz/sport/news/racing-turf-riddell-hopes-for-double/3957902/