Jonathon Riddell was sick last night after turning down the ride on Sir Avion who dead-heated for first in the Great Northern Steeplechase.
"I stuffed up," said Riddell after finishing seventh on Narghile Bay.
"I thought Narghile Bay would be a winning chance on a wet track and he had fresh legs."
The mitigating factor was that Sir Avion's part-owner and trainer Kevin O'Connnor had told Riddell Sir Avion had to come through Saturday's TV Guides Hurdles well to make it to the Mercedes and Riddell had to commit himself to Narghile Bay before the weekend.
The one you really had to feel sorry for was Ross Elliot, who rode Sir Avion on Saturday and who has done all the work on the horse. Elliot could not make the 60kg weight yesterday, handing over the ride to Wayne Hillis.
Elliot finished fifth on Sir Avion's stablemate Willie Tee and had had a grandstand view the whole race of how well Sir Avion was travelling.
"And at the finish I could hear the big O'Connor cheer squad yelling in the grandstand and I was 35 lengths behind the first two."
Elliot copped his disappointment, sharing celebratory drinks with the winning team.
One who was not disappointed with the dead-heat was Wayne Hillis, who won the race in 1988 on Headawin.
"I was so pleased to even share it because my wife Vanessa says I've got to give up race riding, so I might not get too many more chances to win it.
"I might get 12 months' reprieve after today."
Hillis spent two years riding trackwork in Japan then rode in Melbourne for eight months before a further one and a half years in Japan, returning to New Zealand permanently two years ago.
He is now employed by veterinarian Jim Marks at Matamata's Hinuera Lodge.
The winner Smart Hunter may have earned himself a quiet time.
Ann Browne came up with the understatement of the century when she said: "He's had a bit of a hard weekend, really."
Yes, you could definitely say that.
The $5000 yearling purchase will almost certainly not head to next month's Trentham jumping carnival because Ann Browne says she will not leave her husband at the moment to travel her horses.
"I'll probably send a couple of horses down, but Smart Hunter won't be one of them and I won't be going."
Racing: Jockey rues turning down Sir Avion ride
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