Mark Oulaghan’s star jumpers West Coast(NZ) (Mettre En Jeu) and Berry The Cash (NZ) (Jakkalberry) were unstoppable in last month’s Grand National contests, and on Sunday, they are heavily-favoured to add the Great Northern equivalents to their formidable records.
West Coast has largely been the benchmark for steeplechasers in New Zealand for the past two seasons, winning a multitude of prestige crowns, including three-straight editions of the Grand National Steeplechase (5600m), the first in history to do so.
Contesting the Ben and Ryan Foote Racing Great Northern Steeplechase (6500m) for the first time 12 months ago at Te Rapa, the son of Mettre En Jeu displayed all of his class to take the title from race-rival Captains Run.
In this year’s race, West Coast will, as he has become accustomed too, carry the 73kg topweight under regular rider Shaun Fannin, just a week after the gelding was awarded his second Champion Jumper title at the New Zealand Thoroughbred Horse of the Year Awards.
“It’s always a thrill and an honour to train a horse like him, to get those National awards is pretty satisfying,” Oulaghan said.
“He’s had a reasonably busy season but he’s doing well, his run the other day at Woodville looked a little bit flat, but the speed has probably been worked out of him at this stage.
“He was still plodding away at the finish, so I was happy enough.
“He had another run-along this (Thursday) morning then had a swim and went on the walker at home.
“Tomorrow and Saturday he’ll do a little bit of work and have a swim, he’s pretty fit and if they aren’t ready by now, it’s a bit late.
“The fences are a wee bit different to the National, but he handled them last year, he’s a good jumper so I’m not too perturbed.”
The Awapuni horseman has also engaged Super Spirit in the feature, coming out of his second steeplechase victory last start at Egmont.
“He’s a runner’s chance for a place, but if you don’t support these races, the numbers can get a bit low and he’s won a couple so he’s one we could put in,” Oulaghan said.
“He’s a funny sort of horse, he looks beaten at times, but you give him a rev-up and he can find another gear. Whether he can do that over 6400m remains to be seen, but he’s won around the course so he knows his way.
“He’s an easy horse to ride, he’s going to be handy at the smaller meetings but I’m not sure he’s a National or Northern winner.”
TAB bookmakers have opened West Coast as a $1.50 favourite for the Great Northern Steeplechase, slightly shorter than his stablemate Berry The Cash, who sits atop of the book in the Peter Kelly – Bayleys Great Northern Hurdles (4200m) at $1.95.
The Jakkalberry gelding has won his last seven races with five of those coming over hurdles, with the most recent his gusty performance to take back-to-back Grand National Hurdles (4200m).
Oulaghan opted to sit out the Northern following his victory at Riccarton last season, but with the $150,000 prize pool and a more experienced horse on his hands, Berry The Cash will travel north and take his place with the same weight to overcome as his stablemate.
“Last year he was just a young horse and it was his first season jumping, so I didn’t want to do too much,” Oulaghan said.
“We’d always planned to knock him off jumping after the National and that’s what we did, but this year, with the money up for the Northern, we decided to take him there as well.
“He’s won with the weight so it’s obviously not a great hinderance to him, but it’s not an advantage either.
“There hasn’t really been a flat race lately for him, he’s rated 73 and we had him in at Hastings the other day, but I didn’t want to run him on that firm track.
“We pulled him out and took him to Woodville for a gallop on Sunday, he was a wee bit lazy by himself and straight after the gallop all he wanted to do was eat grass, but he’s galloped well this morning and he’s pretty close to the mark.”
Completing Oulaghan’s representatives will be Kentucky Boy, the gelding finishing runner-up to Northern contender Ima Wonder in the Pakuranga Hunt Cup (4800m) at his most recent appearance.
“We were pretty happy with that, he jumped well and if he can reproduce that form, he should be a good show in the 0-1,” Oulaghan said.
