By BARRY STREET
For a 66-year-old grandfather, Ken Browne has amazing energy, as witnessed by his riding Gold Story to lead home a stable trifecta at Ellerslie on Saturday.
Remarkably it was a New Zealand record 102nd steeplechase win for the Cambridge jumps maestro as a rider.
And it was all the more dramatic because Gold Story became squeezed between horses, losing about two lengths and landing on the heels of a stablemate, Wanderlust, at the last fence.
Because of the New Zealand-Australia rugby test at Wellington on Saturday, there was a disappointing crowd at Ellerslie.
But the hardcore of racegoers who were there were stunned by Ken Browne's vigour at the end of 4150m to snatch a photo-finish decision from Michelle Hopkins on Boon's Boy and Wayne Hillis on Wanderlust.
Two and a half lengths further back, fourth, was Prince Of Clouds, who had led before the schemozle.
If Browne had not won the Dunstan Feeds Steeplechase no one would have blamed him because he had already had been "on the go" for a few hours.
His day started in Christchurch, where he landed the day before with seven horses who raced at Riccarton on Saturday.
"At eight this morning I was still in Christchurch," Browne said. "Come Monday, I'll be back there again with another eight horses for the Grand National meeting.
"The reason I flew back this morning was because most of the top [jumps] riders were at Riccarton and there didn't seem anyone experienced enough to ride Gold Story.
"I didn't want just anyone going round on the horse because it was only his fourth steeplechase and seventh jumping race."
It is obvious Browne and his wife have high expectations for Gold Story because recently they turned down $150,000 for the horse, who is closely related to their dual Great Northern Steeplechase winner Ascona.
Meantime, Boon's Boy and Wanderlust are bound for next Saturday's Grand National Steeplechase at Riccarton and Gold Story will stay home for the Roger Browne Memorial at Te Rapa.
The race commemorates the Brownes' only son who was killed in a polo accident in Australia.
Ken Browne's near mishap was not nearly as hair-raising as that experienced four races later by Wayne Hillis on Lord Penn in the Speights Pride of the South Hurdles.
Hillis had to bail out after being shoved dangerously close to the wing of the last hurdle.
The culprit was second favourite Nessun Dorma, who veered out several horse widths after being struck by the whip by the visiting Irish rider Finbarr Leahy.
Nessun Dorma's changing course hampered favourite Golden Miller, who in turn bumped Lord Penn.
The upshot was that Lord Penn ducked outside the hurdle wing, thereby losing Hillis and any chance of returning a dividend.
Nessun Dorma was disqualified from second and Leahy, after pleading guilty to careless riding, was suspended up to and including next Sunday.
Hillis maintained Lord Penn had sufficient momentum at the last fence to run down the winner, Golden Miller.
Even so, he was not hostile toward Leahy for what happened.
"The same thing happened to me on Gentle Boy [trained by father Baggy Hillis] here about 15 years ago," he said.
"Gentle Boy won by about 10 lengths but was disqualified after bumping another horse, who lost its rider at the last fence.
"Me? I wasn't charged and got off Scot free."
Racing: Jumps maestro kept on the go
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