Racing: Oulaghan pair hard to split

Counter Punch will be seeking to add the Grand National title to his Koral win. Photo / Paul Estcourt

As a journalist you call Mark Oulaghan and kind of hope he's going to tell you either Counter Punch or Yourtheman has gone off its feed and the other one has improved lengths.

It's your only hope of coming away with a clear first choice for tomorrow's $57,500 Grand National Steeplechase at Riccarton.

No such luck.

You can look at this race any way you like - the over-riding impression is Counter Punch and Yourtheman will produce the quinella result, as they did in the Koral Steeplechase last Saturday.

Kidunot and High Season are almost of equal class to the Oulaghan pair, but neither will like the heavy conditions.

Kidunot has won both his starts over country at Oamaru and Washdyke with ease. He missed running on the first two days, because Gore trainer Ellis Winsloe did not want to risk taking the edge of last season's Great Northern Hurdles winner on the heavy track.

The rest, quite frankly, are probably not up to it.

Counter Punch and Yourtheman are so close that only the last jump decided victory last Saturday.

Yourtheman had the race won, but Counter Punch cleared the last fence better and that was the only difference.

Even the weight differential remains the same - last week Yourtheman had 68kg to the 67kg carried by Counter Punch, this time, it's 67kg to 66kg. So, if you assume each horse jumps the fences equally well, perhaps you could give a slight edge to Yourtheman.

But it's not even as simple as that.

Track conditions, which will rule some horses out of play, will even have a bearing between Counter Punch and Yourtheman.

"Counter Punch seems to be able to handle any conditions and doesn't seem to mind if it's puggy, whereas Yourtheman probably prefers it looser and wet," says Oulaghan. The Riccarton surface, incredibly testing on Wednesday, is due to receive more rain today, which could only help rather than hinder in keeping it slightly looser.

Yourtheman's longevity is remarkable. It's four years since he won the Grand National Hurdles and has made a successful switch to steeplechase racing, winning two of his four New Zealand starts over the big fences.

A win would help erase some of the disappointment Isaac Lupton felt when Solid Steal eliminated his Grand National Hurdles chances by nearly crashing on landing over the fourth-last fence on Wednesday.

Even if it proves to be a two-horse race - and that's not a given - it will be an exciting one.

Particularly for Mark Oulaghan.

GRAND NATIONAL STEEPLES
* Trainer Mark Oulaghan has a massive hand with Yourtheman and Counter Punch engaged.
* The pair produced the quinella in last week's Koral lead-up and look likely to do that again.
* The wet conditions will not suit highly-rated Kidunot.