Racing: Climbing High gives fans plenty of thrills and spills

Memo to Climbing High: Concentrate.

Punters lost a fortune when Shelley Houston parted company with Climbing High about 1800m out in the McGregor Grant Steeplechase at Ellerslie.

It was the fortune they picked up when Climbing High won the Waikato Steeplechase as the heavily-backed favourite at his previous start.

They nearly lost their money that day, too. Houston came, oh so close, to coming off Climbing High about the same distance from the finish that day.

The Cambridge jumps jockey has always said the massively talented Climbing High likes to goof off.

But one of his great exhibitions - and he can really jump - was when he won last year's Hawkes Bay Steeplechase, the race he tackles again at Hastings tomorrow.

The 67.5kg is not easy, but it's not prohibitive either.

The biggest danger to him would be a very heavy track. The Hastings footing yesterday was rated as a heavy 10, a fair bit worst than the dead track he won the race easily on 12 months ago.

It's not that Climbing High is a duffer in the wet, but on reasonable footing he seems to get going evenly and jump more fluently - it suits his free-flowing style.

Outstanding hurdler Yourtheman has had only one steeplechase for a relatively easy victory in maiden class at Wanganui.

If astute trainer Mark Oulaghan had thought he needed another race over the bigger fences going into this he would have given the veteran one.

It was not the fault of No Rush'n when he crashed heavily early in the Manawatu Steeplechase, being brought down by a fallen runner. He deserves another chance.

So does Zagata, who was well beaten at Te Aroha last start and is on the improve.

High-class jumps rider Jonathan Riddell hardly had to think before declaring for Solid Steal over Ho Down in tomorrow's $33,500 Te Whangai Hawkes Bay Hurdles.

Riddell easily won the Awapuni Hurdles on Ho Down last start and as good as that horse's chances are again, Riddell and trainer Paul Nelson hold Solid Steal in very high regard.

Solid Steal may be rising 11 in age, but he didn't look like it when he put paid to the Trentham opposition by 22 lengths last start. This is much harder, but the veteran is tipped to cope.

This is a wide open race in terms of overall depth and should be a great contest.