Style is only one aspect of race riding. Photo / Thinkstock
In 2003, Richard Eynon rode his first winner, a steeplechaser whose name he cannot remember, for trainer Kenny Rae.
He was stoked and thought he had the game beat.
Until John Wheeler, who he barely knew, sidled up.
"Congratulations son, but you have no style. You looked like two dogs mating."
It was the start of a great friendship.
"Without Wheels' tutoring through the years I'm sure I wouldn't have felt I was good enough," said Eynon, after an absolutely brilliant ride on Tobouggie Nights to win the $50,000 Tony Richards Toyota Pakuranga Hunt Cup at Ellerslie by the width of a 10c coin on Saturday.
Style is only one aspect of race riding. Another is judgment and placement during running, and the Taranaki horseman couldn't rave enough about Eynon's ride.
"If you want to see an absolutely fabulous ride, watch Richard's on this horse on television during the week," said Wheeler.
"Absolute perfection."
There have been magical ground-saving rides in steeplechases at Ellerslie through the years, but few as good as Eynon's.
However, style went out the window again in what was a desperate, drag-out finish.
Eynon threw everything at Tobouggie Nights to the point he split the backside of his riding silks.
The weightlifter's salute he gave when just about to dismount Tobouggie Nights said "strength".
"I didn't know whether we'd won or not because I wasn't looking. I know I looked ugly, but I was hard at work. So much so that I think I might have given him a couple [with the whip] after the finish.
"Ugly, but I didn't care."
With five strides left, Amanood Lad had a winning advantage and Tobouggie Knights lunged to have a slight advantage with a bound left, but looked to have lost the head bob.
The digital image of the finish proved otherwise.
The big picture now is the Great Northern Steeplechase on Saturday week.
"There's still a bit of improvement in him," said Wheeler. "I've been behind the play fitness-wise all the way through this preparation. He kept getting niggles and each time I gave him a week off he'd put on 5-6kg."
Asked for his opinion on Tobouggie Night's Great Northern Steeplechase chances, Eynon, who has spent the past two years in Australia, said: "Only very special horses can run that extreme distance. He's very special to me, but whether he can step up is another matter that we'll only know in two weeks'."
Eynon won the Von Doussa Steeples and the big one, the Great Eastern in South Australia, on Tobouggie Nights. "He did a lot as a young horse and it can have an effect on them."
?There is zero link between the New Zealand Oaks and the Great Northern Hurdles, but Justa Tad and her son Just Got Home have one factor in common -- guts.
Justa Tad's heart only just managed to fit into her tiny body and she would have been justifiably proud of Just Got Home's $50,000 Tractor Centre Hurdles victory at Ellerslie.
It looked simply a cool ride by Cody Singer, but it could well have been an unlucky one. Back third last on the rail and 10 lengths behind the leader at the 800m, Singer was looking a study of patience.
In fact, he was trying desperately to get out and off the back of the horse horse directly in front, Supercharged.
"When he's had enough that's it, he stops pretty fast. I know, I flipped off him in the National last start."
The sprint Just Got Home produced from well back on the home bend was exceptional.
"Rudy [Liefting, trainer] told me not to bash him up because the Northern is what we're looking at and he did it very easily."
The handicap adjustment for this win will be interesting for the Great Northern Hurdles, but Singer is unconcerned.
"He's so tough and such a good stayer that weight won't stop him.
"He's a very good horse."
La Crique set for Group 1 return in Zabeel Classic at Ellerslie on Boxing Day.