Racing: Bogeyman shows age no barrier

Feature steeplechases are not usually won by jumpers fresh from the minor leagues.

But two-chase winner Bogeyman - a $3.65 fixed-odds second fancy for the Grand National at Riccarton tomorrow - is not your everyday dunce-grade graduate.

His New Plymouth trainer Allan Sharrock is adamant Bogeyman would be a superstar chaser by now if he had stayed injury-free.

And tomorrow Sharrock, who is yet to saddle a National chase runner, is confident his comeback crock gets his belated chance to prove it.

"I set him for this race, he's done the hard yards and he's as fit as I can get him," said Sharrock.

"He's as clean a jumper as you can get. I'd say there's not a better fencer around on the way he jumps them; he just glides over them.

"I think he's a real chance in a race that's winnable."

Sharrock only wishes he'd been able to get Bogeyman, now 10, to this point a year or two earlier.

Bogeyman, who ran fourth in Just A Swagger's first Grand National Hurdles win two years ago, looked to have the chasing world at his feet after a stunning 15-length chase debut win over Frankoo Verymuch in October 2004.

The John Wheeler-trained Frankoo Verymuch went on to win the Grand Annual chase at Warrnabool in Victoria a few months later.

But after a fresh-up hurdles win in his very next start, seven months later, the wheels feel off Bogeyman's big-fence future when sidelined first by a minor suspensory problem, and then a serious tendon injury.

Sharrock turned to tendon implant surgery to salvage Bogeyman's career and he spent the next 13 months away from the racetrack.

"He went through the Browne's tendon implant regime and Michelle Hopkins spent three months with him pre-training before he came back," said Sharrock.

"Both his legs are fine now."

Bogeyman, who scored the second of his seven career wins at the National carnival over 1400m five years ago, resumed from the long break with a fourth to Sam McClay over country at Wanganui on June 22.

One of Sharrock's long-time favourites around the stable, Bogeyman has gradually returned to his best with each of his three subsequent runs.

His last start chase victory over Lignum at Te Rapa on July 29 may have only been in intermediate company.

But rider Jonathan Riddell was impressed enough that day to label Bogeyman the biggest threat to his chances of a National double on No Hero tomorrow.

At first Sharrock tried to lure his good mate, international jumps jockey Brett Scott, back from his Melbourne base to take over from Riddell at Riccarton.

With Scott committed to Victorian mounts, Sharrock has instead booked Tommy Hazlett.

"It would have been great to have Scotty ride him but no one knows the Riccarton country like Tommy and I'm happy to have him on," said Sharrock.

If there is a concern for Sharrock tomorrow it was the water-logged state of the Riccarton track earlier this week.

Heavy rain in Christchurch since the first day of the carnival already caused the cancellation of Grand National Hurdles meeting on Wednesday, with the hurdles transferred to today's card.

"That's the only potential pitfall, the track being as wet as it is," said Sharrock.

"But then the outside course at Riccarton is always a bit better ground than the course proper so he should be okay."

Sharrock arrived in Christchurch on Wednesday to supervise Bogeyman's final tune-up yesterday and was rapt with what he saw.

"He licked the bowl clean and looks like a Drover's dog - he's all ribs," said Sharrock.

"I know I'm asking plenty of him, but I'm pretty happy with him going into this race. He's in on the minimum, and the mileage he's done to get here is Herculean.

"But I guess when the green-flag drops, all the talk stops."

Regardless of how he performs tomorrow, Sharrock said Bogeyman will go straight out for a well-earned spell after the National.

His Great Northern steeplechase hopes next month rest with the more dour type Stitched.

The Wellington chase winner then has his final Northern prelude in the $40,000 Pakuranga Hunt Cup at Ellerslie on August 26.

* The TAB's fixed odds Grand National Steeplechase market yesterday was:

No Hero $2.40; Bogeyman $3.65; Camouflage $5.50; I'manace $6; Tokiocity, Black Eagle, $13; Hatepe $16; Pounce $51; Doc Knapp $101.