THE Eric Musgrove-trained Thubiaan is in the frame to collect a A$300,000 bonus should he win the Grand National Steeplechase at Ballarat in July. His win, with Martin Kelly up, in Sunday’s $100,000 Australian Steeple over 3,400 metres at Ballarat, is the pair’s second feature jumps win following their Brierly Steeple victory at Warrnambool in May. Three wins from any of six nominated feature jumps races secures the bonus.

“He was unbelievable again, he’s a tough horse and if anything I think he’s only going to keep getting better,” said Kelly. “I’m so glad to be a part of his career, Eric (Musgrove) has been good to me keeping me on the horse and I couldn’t be happier.”

In the soft conditions, Kelly settled Thubiaan behind the leaders before chiming in with two to jump. In a slogging finish, the seven-year-old Dynaformer gelding managed to hold Dumosa by a half-length with King Triton close up in third.

Unbeaten now over steeples, Musgrove will send Thubiaan to the 4,500 metre Grand National Steeple on July 26th. “We won’t need another run over fences, so we’ll just have to look at the timing and make up our mind in a few days,” added Musgrove, not ruling out a run on the flat. “We’re still thinking about Japan (Nakayama Grand Jump). We want to season him a bit more and get him through this season and look to that later. He couldn’t do any more than what he’s done at this stage.”

IRISH JOCKEYS DOMINATE

Tom Ryan completed the Irish jockeys sweep of Victoria’s feature jumps races over the weekend when he partnered the Robert Smerdon-trained Arch Fire to land the A$100,000 Australian Hurdle over 3,400 metres at Ballarat. The win made it three wins from the last four editions for the Ryan-Smerdon pairing with past wins by Westsouthwest (2013) and Kirribilli Gold (2012).

“I got him out and got him rolling coming to the third last and he was full of running so I thought I may as well set sail for home because there was a couple of good horses behind him and I didn’t want to get caught up in a fight with them,” said Ryan who won by six lengths from Zuhayr and Fieldmaster. “He had a good look at the second-last but he still had loads left and he’s done well in the end.”

An American-bred Arch gelding, Arch Fire, originally trained by Sir Michael Stoute was a result of Robert Smerdon’s first visit to Tattersalls in 2011. Acting through agent Stephen Hillen, Smerdon went to 180,000 guineas to buy Arch Fire whose has since won six races in Australia and has earnings in excess of $260,000 from his 32 starts.