High Forty in Steeplechase win
High Forty gave trainer Brian Anderton his sixth Great Western Steeplechase win at Riverton on Sunday.
Eight-year-old High Forty and second-placed Keep It Tight shared topweight of 69kg for the 109th running of the Western (3900m). High Forty was too strong winning by 3½ lengths in the mud.
Cambridge jockey Michael Mitchell said the addition of a tongue tie to High Forty’s gear played a part in the success.
“It made him relax and breath better,” Mitchell said. “He won quite impressively.” High Forty was an eye-catching second when Mitchell rode him for the first time in a restricted open steeplechase at Riverton on April 30.
“I asked him to do too much last time. I knew the horse better today,” Mitchell said.
Anderton, wife Lorraine and Australian Terry Burke, of Tamworth, race High Forty, who will compete in the Otago Steeplechase at Wingatui on May 31. The Hawke’s Bay Steeplechase June 27 is a possible target.
“The aim is the Grand National (Steeplechase, in August),” said Anderton, who trains in partnership with son Shane.
High Forty finished fourth in the National last year. Burke bought High Forty off the Andertons as a yearling. He won twice on the flat before the Andertons joined the ownership for his jumping career three years ago.
Brian Anderton’s other Great Western winners have been Variable (2004), One Chance (1999) and Lord Venture (1989, 87, 86). He and Shane trained One Chance and Variable in partnership.
Missing a proper run in the steeplechase at the previous Riverton meeting counted against Keep It Tight, jockey Mathew Gillies said.
Keep It Tight was pulled up early when rider Matthew McNelis thought he had broken down. An examination showed the horse was OK.
To get a much-needed race into Keep It Tight, Ascot Park trainer Kelly Thompson started him on the flat at Winton eight days ago.
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Gillies said Keep It Tight was under pressure well before the home straight in the Western.
“He lacked a touch of fitness. He started to go (tire) at the 600m but kept fighting.”
Jockey Alan Browne said fourth-placed Gargamel lost his tongue tie half-way through the Western.
“He didn’t like the [heavy] ground … he wasn’t jumping with confidence in it.”
South Auckland trainer Sean Cameron ended his Southland visit on a high with three wins, including Storm Home’s success in the Great Western Hurdles.
Cameron, who set up temporary bases at Riverton or Ascot Park, has raced 12 horses at Southland, Otago and Canterbury meetings in the past six weeks.
He and his horses travel to Christchurch on Tuesday and will stay there to take in race meetings at Riccarton (May 29) and Wingatui (May 31). Two or three of the team will Trentham on Saturday.
He has had seven wins and numerous placings on the trip, with the $20,000 Western being the best result. Storm Home was gifted to Cameron two years ago by Taranaki trainer Robert Patterson.
Cameron, who races Storm Home with six other Aucklanders, has no plans for the 7-year-old gelding. The jumper won on the flat at Winton eight days ago and
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at had two seconds over hurdles at Riverton last year.
It is the fourth autumn in the past five years Cameron has campaigned horses in Southland.
Eighteen-year-old rider Daniel Miller said Storm Home was travelling easily behind the leaders turning for home.
“He caught the last three [hurdles] perfectly,” Miller said.
Supercharged, who led mostly, fought doggedly and just went under. He carried 69kg, 4kg more than Storm Home.
“The weight got to him at the end,” jockey Michael Mitchell said of Supercharged.
Miller’s luck changed in the Great Western Steeplechase when he fell from Radinka and got stood on. The rider suffered bruising to his right leg. Miller flew to Auckland last night and reckoned he would arrive home in Matamata about midnight.