The Good Fight (NZ) (High Chaparral) has dominated the A$400,000 Grand National Steeplechase at Ballarat on Sunday, giving trainer Rachael Cunningham her second win in the race, and Daryl Horner Jr his first.
The 10-year-old gelding was a gutsy third in the Grand National Hurdle at Sandown earlier this month, but had never seen the larger obstacles on raceday before, and came into Sunday’s 4500-metre event off just one steeple trial.
Cunningham’s galloper was kept safe in betting as a $10 chance, but made that price look like a typo late in the piece, pulling clear to win by a stunning 25-length margin.
Superstar jumper Stern Idol ($2.20) was in his usual commanding position down the back straight, but started to put in shorter and shorter strides approaching the final bend and was quickly eased down by Steven Pateman.
Leaderboard ($9) and The Good Fight were left to battle it out, and while Te Akau’s galloper tried his heart out, Horner Jr always looked more comfortable in the run home and his mount began to career away late.
The victory is Cunningham and husband Peter’s second in the National, having won with Bee Tee Junior in 2020, and the Pakenham-based trainer was overcome with emotion post-race.
“They all mean a lot, this one means a hell of a lot,” she said.
“I don’t get many opportunities to do this, so I just want to thank everyone, we’re a small team … there’s only a few of us and we all work so incredibly hard.
“This race has consumed us for the last month, I’d say, all of us. Sometimes when a plan actually works, you just need to take a minute and take a breath.”
The Good Fight began his career with Shaune Ritchie in New Zealand and was with Reece Goodwin until halfway through last year, and was then transferred the to Cunningham for a jumping education but Goodwin kept his name in the ownership.
That plan has paid dividends for both trainers, but as Cunningham explained post-race, she has wanted to train The Good Fight far longer than she actually has.
“This horse is very special – he’s an incredible horse, I’ve wanted him for years and I was underbidder on Inglis,” she said.
“Reece Goodwin bought him, and then he came over (to us) with owners to go jumping, and this time the plan’s worked.
“We’ve got some really good owners in this horse … just a great group we’ve put together, and we’ve had so much fun.
“Even before today, this is his first jumping prep … he’s had a mammoth season, and coming into this race today, I just knew he was better than he was at the start.
“We were confident in our preparation, we were confident in the horse, in Darryl. We were confident in what we’d done to get him here.
“It’s a race, so you just hope that it all comes together, and it did today thankfully.”
