Racing: Jumping chaos a one-off, say Ellerslie officials

Auckland Racing Club officials are adamant there will be no ongoing problems with the Ellerslie jumping course.

Steeplechasing at Ellerslie on Saturday was thrown into chaos when the hot favourite, Fenman, fell on the flat coming down Ellerslie's famous Hill when looking the winner of the Event Centre Steeplechase.

He was followed to the ground by the well-fancied Havana City.

Fenman's rider Jonathan Riddell said his mount was going well at the time - but that was an understatement - Fenman looked certain to win.

The cause of the problem is confusing, but the best explanation is probably that the steeplechasing course had not been used for nine months and Friday's persistent rain made the ground too "fresh".

A steeplechase is traditionally run at Ellerslie in April, almost always on a firmish surface.

Drainage work on the main track resulted in the April meeting being transferred with the result that the steeplechase course did not have the ground surface, or crust, broken.

ARC racing manager Butch Castles is disappointed at comments that the club has concentrated on fixing the main course and ignored the jumping track.

"Our course manager Jason has put at least as much work into the steeplechase course as the main track," said Castles yesterday.

"The idea that the grass was too long is nonsense."

Course officials put heavy machinery over the danger areas of the Ellerslie Hill between the two horses falling early and the McGregor Grant Steeplechase and riders were well aware of the potential dangers of the Hill going into the big race.

Not everyone was disappointed with the scenario - Kara Waters credits her McGregor Grant Steeplechase victory on Bart to the earlier mishap on the Hill.

Without a lead-up Bart was short of fitness and the fact that riders held their horses in check coming down the Hill made it a much less testing race and played into the hands of Bart.

"He normally slides down the Hill beautifully and gets an advantage, but I obviously couldn't do that this time.

"I'm so pleased that was the case because he started to get the wobbles in the closing 150m.

"The second horse started to get close in the run from the last fence and I was worried for a while. Fortunately when Bart heard him coming he kicked into another gear, but he didn't have a lot left. If I'd have kicked him down the Hill I don't think he could have won."

Co-trainer Sheryl McGlade said the relocated Great Northern Steeplechase at the end of the winter would be Bart's obvious main goal, but the path to it is less clear.

"With the Great Northern moved off Queen's Birthday weekend they are forcing you to travel through the winter for the lead-up racing.

"There is Manawatu and Hawkes Bay then Wellington.

"Ideally I wouldn't want to run him in everything, but he's in danger of hurting himself if he doesn't have the right level of racing - he's not your average quiet jumper to have around the place."

The Storytella gave warning that with wet tracks now upon us, the Browne team will again be a force.

The hot favourite, Deceit, raced below her form after pushing hard into second behind Gold Jet in the Waikato Steeplechase the previous weekend.