By MIKE DILLON
Grand National Steeplechase runner-up Stacey Jones is being spelled to prepare for the $75,000 AIAL New Year's Day steeplechase at Ellerslie.
Trainer Kevin Myers has decided to bring Stacey Jones home and miss the $A125,000 Hiskens Steeplechase on Saturday week, a race in which the New Zealander would have been very competitive.
"He would have gone close to winning on Saturday if he'd stepped the second-last fence correctly," said Myers yesterday.
Horses jump the Australian fences faster than those in New Zealand and when a runner makes even a minor mistake the deficit, in terms of lengths, can be dramatic.
Stacey Jones was beaten six lengths by Leading Bounty, who he would have pressed hard with a clean break.
He has yet to win on three trips to Australia.
He fell in the 1999 Australian Hurdle and again in last year's Grand National Hurdle.
Myers is very happy with the horse's performances on this trip.
"He was badly beaten in his first start, but he could have eaten some bad feed because he wasn't himself on the day, then he got axed at the 1000m when he ran third in the Grand National Hurdles.
"I'll run him at Ellerslie on January 1 then probably take him to Oakbank for the carnival at Easter."
Racing: Ellerslie visit for jumper
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