KEY POINTS:
Taranaki trainer John Wheeler was happy to wait for the Melbourne Cup with his very promising stayer Pentathon.
The five-year-old gelding on Saturday won the group two $200,000 New Zealand Cup (3200m) at Riccarton, Christchurch, but Wheeler had earlier considered a Melbourne Cup campaign.
Pentathon showed some of his staying promising when fourth to Art Success in the A$500,000 ($585,000) Brisbane Cup (3200m) at Eagle Farm on June 12.
Wheeler said that effort had him thinking of preparing Pentathon for this month's Melbourne Cup.
But there were two main factors that swayed him away from the idea.
Wheeler said it was difficult for horses to be prepared for a winter campaign in Brisbane and then peak again in the spring for the Melbourne Cup.
"You have to be pretty focused if you are aiming at the Melbourne Cup," Wheeler said.
"Horses that race through the winter never win Melbourne Cups."
A second factor was the maturity of Pentathon.
"He's still relatively immature for a five-year-old," he said.
"I just thought it [the New Zealand Cup] was an easier option and he could have a spell after it."
But he is now planning for next year's Melbourne Cup.
"We'll get him ready for the Sydney Cup in the autumn. He can then have a break and get ready for the Melbourne Cup."
Wheeler said Saturday's win was still a good one to pick along the way.
"I had a plan and it worked well, so it's nice. It's very satisfying."
Wheeler said he had to be patient with Pentathon from the time he was purchased at a yearling sale for $33,000.
"The price was a little bit over the odds for him because he was a little bit small, a late foal. So I had to wait for him. I just cruised along and took it as it came."
Pentathon is owned by Rod Baulcomb of Auckland and Martin Ralston from Melbourne.
Both are regular clients of the Wheeler stable. Ralston was also a part-owner of Waltermitty who took out the 2004 New Zealand Cup for Wheeler at odds of 53-1.
Pentathon was a $2.90 favourite. Since returning from Brisbane he has had five starts winning his last four races.
The winning rider was Noel Harris with whom Wheeler has had a long and successful association.
They combined for their biggest win when Poetic Prince took out the 1988 Cox Plate in Melbourne. Wheeler estimated Harris had ridden in the vicinity of 50 winners for him.
Harris, 51, posted his 11th win in a 3200m race and completed a treble grand slam of New Zealand's three major staying races - the NZ Cup, Wellington Cup and Auckland Cup.
He settled Pentathon mid-field but was on the improve rounding the home turn and was in front wide out at the top of the straight in the dead track conditions.
He was challenged strongly on the inner by Cluden Creek and they fought it out all the way down the straight with Pentathon prevailing by a long head.
Harris was a little worried he may have reached the front too soon but was comforted by the fact the horse had put a similar performance to win the $70,000 Metropolitan Trophy Handicap (2500m) the previous Saturday on the first day of the meeting.
"My only concern was to go when I did," Harris said. "But I knew the other day he had done it, I knew he would kick in and wouldn't give it away.
"My horse dug the last bit."
For a moment, it appeared Cluden Creek, winner of the 2004 Wellington Cup, might get the better of Pentathon but rider Lisa Cropp said she knew it was also going to be a slog to the line.
"He got to him," Cropp said. "But I could see it was going to be one of those finishes because Wheeler's horses don't lie down."
- NZPA
