Sea King in grand win
In what was likely his final race, the King returned to win Australia’s Grand National Steeplechase.
New Zealand jumper Sea King only led for about two metres of the gruelling 4500m race as he ran down leader Spying On You in the final bound to win the A$350,000 (NZ$380,000) race at Ballarat on Sunday.
Sea King’s trainer Patrick Payne – who was born in Hawera but moved to Australia when he was five – paid tribute to Kiwi trainer Kevin Myers following the heart-stopping win.
When Payne was asked if the victory was likely to be Sea King’s last appearance at the races he answered with: ‘‘I’d say so, yes.’’
If that is the case, the 12-yearold will retire as a million-dollar earner. His winning stake of $247,406 took his career earnings to $1,089,406.
Sea King fell in last year’s Grand National Steeplechase and missed the 2016 edition after suffering life-threatening injuries when he was struck by a section of the running rail in an incident was caused by another runner. And those upsets make the victory even more special for Payne.
‘‘It’s really special. He’s been coming over to our place for four years now and we’ve got pretty close. He’s a really weird horse but he’s an interesting horse. Everyone loves him at our farm,’’ he said.
Myers, based in Whanganui, has trained Sea King for all his jumping starts in New Zealand and did the early hard yards before sending him across the Tasman this year.
‘Much as I’d like to stick my chest out, all the credit goes to Kevin Myers and his team back in New Zealand. He came over here really fit and well and all I had to do was keep him breathing,’’ Payne said.
Sea King is raced by former Otaki trainer Rachael Frost, now based in Australia, Chris O’Reilly and his breeder Sue Harty.
Enthusiastic commentator Ric McIntosh described Sea King’s victory as ‘‘the best Grand National you’d ever see’’.
Sea King was ridden by Australian jockey Steven Pateman, who has had a long association with the Kiwi jumper.