By MIKE DILLON
Falling off jumpers holds no fears for Michelle Hopkins, but champion flat runner Sunline could be a different matter.
On Saturday, Hopkins became the first woman to win the TV Guide Great Northern Hurdles at Ellerslie, and she was supposed to have had her first ride on Sunline in training this morning.
But because of Sunline's reputation, senior trainer Trevor McKee is taking no chances. He has delayed Sunline's resumption until tomorrow morning, to avoid the risk of 29-year-old Hopkins being injured before her attempt this afternoon to become the first woman to complete Ellerslie's famous jumping double aboard Smart Hunter in the $100,000 Mercedes Great Northern Steeplechase.
Sunline was due to begin a new multimillion-dollar preparation at Takanini. Hopkins will fill in for regular strapper Claire Bird, who broke an ankle in trackwork.
It was one injury the battle-scarred Bird could not blame on the big, testy mare - she slipped off another horse.
"Mr McKee said Sunline would probably fire me off in the state she's in, so he played it safe," said Hopkins.
There is an irony that Hopkins will ride in the world's toughest steeplechase today, but could not sit on the back of one of the world's finest flat racing mares.
Offered the choice, she would have ridden Sunline, she said.
"I'm looking forward to it. It [having to fight to stay in the saddle] doesn't worry me. I like horses with a bit of fire, it gets the old adrenalin going."
Hopkins spent 12 years working for Smart Hunter's owners and trainers, Ken and Ann Browne, but this year has been employed by the McKee stable.
"I owe everything to the Brownes," she said. "I got a huge thrill dedicating Saturday's winning ride to Mr Browne."
Hopkins rates highly her chances of completing the double.
"We won't know how much Saturday's race took out of Smart Hunter until the late stages of tomorrow's race, but visually he looked to come through the race magnificently.
"And don't worry about the fact he has had only two steeplechases and hasn't won one - he's been jumping the right sort of fences for years at home."
Racing: Ride on the wild side delayed
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