Racing: Frankoo in Grand Annual Steeplechase success

Frankoo Verymuch, a former pony club horse who didn't race until he was seven, completed a fairytale story for his New Zealand connections when he won the Grand Annual Steeplechase at Warrnambool yesterday.

The 10-year-old gelding was sacked by his original trainer when he didn't measure up as a 2-year-old and was destined never to race after he was bought by psychology student Amy Bingham.

She rode the horse at pony club and did some dressage and eventing.

Bingham's father Peter, a journalist from The Daily News newspaper in New Plymouth, is a friend of trainer John Wheeler and asked him to have a look at a horse.

Wheeler took a shine to Frankoo Verymuch and he decided to give him a try at jumping.

The gelding needed plenty of time but showed yesterday he was a superior stayer over the marathon 5500m trip over 33 fences.

Wheeler only decided to send Frankoo Verymuch to Australia to compete at Warrnambool after stablemate Outback went amiss.

The gelding made the trip worthwhile by winning the Brierly Steeple at Warrnambool on Tuesday before backing up to win yesterday's $126,500 event which jockey Brett Scott described as Australia's premier steeplechase.

"It's the one everyone wants to win," said Scott who has now combined with Wheeler to win three Grand Annuals after Foxboy in 1997 and the Sundance Kid in 1998.

Said Wheeler: "I'm really proud of the horse. He didn't start racing until he was seven."

The trainer is now eyeing the A$200,000 Grand National Steeple (4500m) at Flemington in Melbourne on July 9 for Frankoo Verymuch.

"I knew he was a chance today as he has a nice mouth and listens to the rider. He's very tractable which you need around a course like this."

Wheeler has had plenty of success with horses who have been cheap buys and have come from obscurity such as the Australian Steeple and Grand National Steeple winner Crafty Dancer and champion flat galloper Rough Habit.

Scott said he was only just getting back to top form after serious injuries in recent seasons including a broken back suffered in a fall at Warrnambool followed by a broken knee cap.

"I wondered whether I'd get back," Scott said.

But he has burst back with a vengeance, winning last month's Nakayama Grand Jump in Japan on the Eric Musgrove-trained Karasi.

"That was pretty special, but this is the premier race in Australia," said Scott who doubles as Wheeler's foreman at his Mornington stables.

The Chris Hyland-trained Mukilteo (9-1) made a bold bid to lead throughout but Frankoo Verymuch, the 7-4 favourite, was a little too strong in the closing stages to score by a length with Woodful (9-1) third, 12 lengths away.

Peter Bingham could not heap enough praise on Scott and Wheeler.

"It was totally John's decision to bring him over," Bingham said. "The horse has done huge. The race on Tuesday never took anything out of him and Scotty rode him perfectly."

Making the occasion even sweeter for Bingham and his wife, Helen, was the surprise arrival of his daughter Amy and son Zac from New Plymouth.

- AAP