MISSING from the Easter weekend was jumps racing from Oakbank, home of the Great Eastern Steeplechase.

Racing South Australia announced last year they were removing jumps racing from their calendar citing an unsustainable jumps industry based on participation from within South Australia.

Fortunately, the jumps industry looks healthy in Victoria with five jumps races and a highweight flat held at Pakenham on Easter Monday with the famed Warrnambool May carnival just two weeks away.

The Ciaron Maher and David Eustace-trained Saunter Boy took out the feature $100,000 M J Bourke Hurdle over 3,200 metres. The Kevin Lafferty Hurdle winner indicating he is primed for another crack at the Galleywood Hurdle in which he ran fourth in at last year’s Warrnambool carnival.

The Henry Dwyer-trained Riding High won the $100,000 Jeff Spencer Memorial Steeplechase in which the 11-year-old Zed Em fell for the first time in his career prompting his retirement by trainer Patrick Payne.

A Grand Annual winner in 2019 who placed in the race three other times he was preparing for a fifth Grand Annual participation.