Racing: Fontera likely favourite from No4

Class New Zealand jumps jockey Craig Thornton was extremely tentative when the Weekend Herald spoke to him at midday in Tokyo yesterday.

And it wasn't nerves because he is riding New Zealand's Fontera in the world's richest jumping race, the $2.9 million Nakayama Grand Jump in Japan this weekend.

It was because the Nakayama barrier draw was about to be released.

What's that? Interest in the barrier draw for a steeplechase?

"It's crucial," said Thornton.

"It's a tight, turning course and you don't want to get hung out wide from a barrier like No 16."

An uninterrupted run on the part of the track you declare favourable is deemed a vital ingredient for a steeplechase that incorporates a figure eight course, is run on an extremely undulating surface and generally at breakneck speed for jumpers.

"BEAUTIFUL," said Thornton when he was handed a paper that said Fontera would begin from barrier No 4.

The Nakayama winning stake is NZ$1.9 million, which means a winning riding fee of close to $200,000.

Thornton knows what that feels like because he has already won the Nakayama, on the John Wheeler-trained St Steven in the 2002 running of the event.

It is likely Fontera will start favourite after finishing second in the lead-up Pegasus steeplechase a few weeks ago.

The horse that beat him that day has been injured and is not running this time.

"I think that will be the case that he'll start favourite. It's difficult to know here because you can't read the form at all in the papers and the language barrier is pretty bad."

Thornton has not schooled Fontera since arriving back in Japan midweek, but galloped the horse on Friday and says he felt very sharp.

"There are a few question marks about him managing the 4200m, but he gives me the feel that he will see it out."

Thornton does not rate Fontera as the equal of St Steven.

St Steven was nippy and nifty and was perfect for this race. Fontera doesn't have quite the same level of class, but there is a suggestion the field is not as strong as it was in St Steven's year.

Fontera is known as a speed jumper who likes to lead in his New Zealand races, but Thornton says there is little chance of that this time.

"I trailed on him when he was second last time and he didn't really like it, but there is no choice the way these riders here are so hell bent on getting to the front.

"He's a much happier horse when he can bowl along in front on his own."

The Australian invitation for the Nakayama, Karasi, has drawn alongside at No 5 and Thornton rates him as probably the toughest to beat.

"He's a little bit afraid of the jumps, but he finished fifth in a Melbourne Cup so he can get from point A to point B better than most jumpers."

Karasi will be ridden by ex-pat Kiwi Brett Scott.

A win for Fontera would be a great result for his owners, Humphrey, Michael, Shaun and Dan O'Leary of Whangaehu, near Wanganui. The brothers farm in the district and between them lost more than a million dollars in the floods of February last year.

As at all major Japanese racedays, there will be a huge crowd at the meeting, but if Fontera is in the call in the closing stages, they are liable to hear from the more than 20-strong O'Leary clan in Tokyo.