LAST Sunday, Te Akau Racing’s Mark Walker became the first trainer in the history of the Grand National Steeple to trifecta the result.
On the all-jumps card at Ballarat, the New Zealander saddled up three of the seven runners in the $400,000 feature over 4,500 metres with his most favoured runner Leaderboard, in receipt of 9kgs from the crowd favourite Stern Idol, whose top-weight of 74kgs proved telling in the end.
Contrary to the sentimental, punters settled on the Shane Jackson-trained Noonday Gun, with Tom Ryan up, as the race favourite, only an error costing them a win.
Will Gordon on Leaderboard trailed Steven Pateman for the majority of the race, not letting the dashing Stern Idol any more than a three-length advantage.
Approaching the third last, 700 metres from home, as Noonday Gun made a mess of that jump, Leaderboard challenged Stern Idol. Pressing home his advantage, only Noonday Gun was able to respond.
Approaching the last, Noonday Gun looked stronger as he loomed up alongside Leaderboard before a costly mistake dislodged Ryan leaving Leaderboard to cruise home by 25 lengths ahead of his stablemates, The Mighty Spar and Prismatic, as Stern Idol finished a length away from third.
Elusive victory
An American-bred Street Cry 11-year-old, who was second in this race last year to The Good Fight, Leaderboard has provided jockey Will Gordon an elusive victory in the race. “I can’t really believe it,” said Gordon. “For me, the win is right up there. This is one that has been missing off my mantelpiece and to tick this one off, they’re hard races to win and only come up once a year.
“I went out there without any pressure, just riding my race, riding the horse. Going down the back the last time, I thought, ‘I’ve still got a bit of horse here and might be in the finish.’ He’s a legend of a horse. Everyone that rides him, or has anything to do with him, just loves and adores him.
“There will be a line out the door that want this horse at the end of his racing career. He’s such a gentleman, such a dude to do anything with, a great jumper, and what you saw today was no better of example of that.”
The result is a huge late winter boost for Te Akau Racing whose Melbourne stable at Cranbourne has been running for just less than two years.
“Having Will back in the saddle today probably helped, he knows him better than anyone else,” said Mark Walker. “A couple of others made mistakes, and he got the chocolates. It was a great ride by Will and it’s great to see all three horses come back safe.
“The girls that strap (groom) them, Hayley (Morton) with the winner, Emma (Wilson) with The Mighty Spar, and Lisa (Strike) with Prismatic – they just love these horses.
“They’re got a dual purpose as well, these older horses, because they help out in the stables by educating the yearlings.”
Elle stars in Houlahan Hurdle success
TOM Ryan combined with trainer Symon Wilde to win the final feature hurdle race of the season when the Jakkalberry mare Enchanted Elle landed the A$100,000 J.J. Houlahan Hurdle over 3,250 metres.
The race fell into Ryan’s hands when regular rider Will Gordon had to choose between Enchanted Elle and Farag and elected the latter. Winning by a half-length, Enchanted Elle defeated Sing For Peace for trainers Patrick and Michelle Payne who had William McCarthy up, as the Bevan Laming-trained Right Now took third.
“She’s so tough and she’s so rapid at her hurdles,” said Ryan. “She’s a proper hurdler; she’s so quick, she spends no time in the air, she gets about a centimetre over the top of them and there’s no waiting around with her. She’s a joy to ride.”
Trainer Symon Wilde is now looking towards next season and his home carnival at Warrnambool for Enchanted Elle.
“She’s had a wonderful season, she’s won four from six,” said Wilde. “She’s a dashing little thing, and I’m really looking forward to seeing what she can do next year. She might end up in a Galleywood, possibly.”
IRISH jockey Cillin Leonard struck early at Ballarat on Sunday, taking out the Ciaron Maher Racing Maiden Hurdle over 3,400 metres aboard the Chris Ryan-trained Mr Lincoln, at the final jumps meeting of the season.
It was Leonard’s third ride on the novice hurdler, prevailing by a half-length over the Thomas Carberry-trained Palentino Heights who had Willie McCarthy on top.
“He’s a bit tricky to ride, he hits his flat spot but I just knew wherever I got stuck into him he’d stay galloping. I hit the front very easily but he just idled. I was delighted something joined me there to go on again. I’m delighted with that run.
Confident
“I was very confident coming here today that this lad would win and I was right, thank God. It’s been a tricky season so I’m delighted to finish off with a winner.”
Cillin Leonard rode his first winner in Australia last year in August when he won the Great Western Steeplechase on the Eric Musgrove-trained Dr Dependable, a 30/1 outsider.