Racing: Dashing Hero in queue for Japan classic

The problem with the jumping game in New Zealand is that our icon jumpers too quickly get weighted out of the biggest races.

No Hero, dashing winner of Saturday's $40,000 Hawkes Bay Steeplechase, is one who will eventually feel the sting.

Our biggest races, the Mercedes Great Northern and the Grand National, need to be set weight races.

When you have the best jumper around, and No Hero looks to be potentially one of the best of the last couple of decades, the sensible move is to aim at the biggest amount of money available and the world's richest jumping event, Tokyo's Nakayama Grand Jump is the obvious target.

Trainer Paul Nelson says he has not had a chance to discuss the Japanese race with rider Jonathan Riddell, who has had experience in Japan.

Riddell last night told the Herald that he felt No Hero was ideal.

"I'm going to say that anyway, aren't I. But seriously, the lead-up race, the race that Rand won and Fontera was placed in this year, wouldn't suit him.

"It's too sharp because it doesn't bring into play the two big fences they have to negotiate in the Grand Jump, but for the big race he'd be ideal. I think he'd be perfect for it."

Riddell said he felt New Zealand was making a mistake sometimes trying to send hurdlers to Japan because the Grand Jump was run at such speed - speed that most of our steeplechasers couldn't match.

But "No Hero has the right level of speed," he said.

If you could inject the excitement No Hero created on Saturday into every jumping race, you would see five of them on every race programme.

The remarkable feature, and something you have to continually remind yourself of, is that going into Saturday's feature, No Hero had had only one jumping race since winning the Hawkes Bay Steeplechase two years ago.

It said a lot about the talent of the dashing grey and as much of the ability of Nelson as a horseman.

As much as he knows his horse intimately, Nelson could not believe how easily No Hero travelled throughout Saturday's race.

Riddell attempted to smother No Hero behind the leading group to save a horse with limited racing preparation, but the horse jumped so magnificently he kept putting himself back up with the leaders at almost every fence.

The effortlessness of his leaping is astonishing.

When No Hero came around the home turn with just one fence left to clear it was obvious he had a struggling opposition in bad trouble, but disaster nearly struck.

Riddell had 'asked' No Hero to jump every previous fence, but this time he sat quietly on the horse, who became confused and completely misjudged the obstacle and nearly fell.

To Riddell's great credit he admitted his mistake.

"He was travelling so well I left him alone and thought he'd just pop over it.

"He didn't and I accept now I should have asked him for a big jump."

Riddell admitted he didn't want to think about the consequences of being responsible for causing a fall for a horse that had been two years in preparation for this race.

"I think Paul would have shot me and I probably wouldn't blame him."

Nelson: "The horse was saying, 'you've told me what to do at every other fence, how come you're not telling me now'."

Circumspection underlines Nelson's every move and for that reason he wants to get through the next big target - next month's Grand National at Riccarton - before looking at the possibility of putting No Hero's name forward for selection for the Nakayama Grand jump.

Then there is always Australia. There are nightmares in Melbourne to be eliminated for the Nelsons, who lost Chibuli when he was put down crashing a couple of fences from the finish of the Australian Grand National at Flemington.

"I believe this horse would be very competitive in the Grand National in Australia. It's a real staying contest and when Chibuli tackled it he was working overtime the whole way whereas this horse can relax beautifully. For that reason he'd see it out well."

No Hero was a bit stiff in his recovery yesterday.

"He's got boot rubs and they're tender. He'll be fine in a couple of days."

No Hero will finalise his Grand National preparation with either a jumpers' flat at Levin or the Koral Steeplechase at Riccarton.