Racing: Snub will provide real spur

Last year's winner Just The Man enjoys firmer footing. Picture / Alan Gibson

If Real Tonic wins tomorrow's $100,000 Great Northern Steeplechase he'll prove two very important points.

First, it will be a magnificent training performance by John Wheeler and an equally superb effort by his favourite jumper.

And second, it will underline the anomaly that Wheeler will not be standing on stage at Ellerslie tonight receiving the trophy for Jumper Of The Year for Real Tonic at the Mercedes awards dinner.

Because most of us who were asked to declare three finalists for each Mercedes category inexcusably 'forgot' about Real Tonic's wonderful Great Eastern and Grand Annual victories in Australia this year, the horse was not a nominated finalist.

He deserved the award even without tomorrow's race.

To Wheeler's great credit he is not one to dwell on such things, but part of his private approach to Ellerslie's great race tomorrow will be proving a point.

Don't undersell the difficulty in winning the Great Eastern in South Australia, Victoria's Grand Annual and follow up with victory in one of the world's toughest horse races, Ellerslie's Great Northern with its three trips over the fierce Hill.

That Real Tonic is even at Ellerslie is a triumph for the Auckland Racing Club's bold move to relocate the Northerns from Queen's Birthday weekend.

Wheeler is a big supporter of the old line that previously if you set a horse for the Northern Steeplechase it was the end of the winter for it.

"Some of them stretched through to the McGregor Grant, but after that they were stuffed," said Wheeler yesterday.

"This is a much better concept."

The small field of eight is disappointing, but it will still be a wonderful spectacle.

"I'm sure the paucity of the field this year is only a oncer.

"Look at the Hurdles field - it is the strongest hurdle race I can remember seeing."

Wheeler is an astute judge of placing his horses, particularly his jumpers.

He says the Great Northern and the Great Eastern and Grand Annual have some similarities and some stark differences.

"The distance and the necessity of good rhythm is pretty close for all three races, yet each race is different."

Real Tonic proved he was the clear favourite for this race when he easily beat The Storytella at Ellerslie two weeks ago.

The Storytella is again the danger - and the 6400m is going to help him - but he will need to find a little extra to topple Real Tonic provided there are no accidents.

The formline of last year's Great Northern winner Just The Man 38P89 is not inspiring, but trainer Davina Waddell is unconcerned.

Just The Man finished 55.5 lengths behind Real Tonic in the Pakuranga Hunt Cup two weeks ago, an effort that Waddell says she expected given the conditions.

"The track was way too gluey and sticky for him - he just hates it like that.

"Hopefully, we'll get a much different track this time."

Waddell says a commercial fisherman friend called her yesterday morning with his opinion that the weather system just off the Australian coast will either miss all but the top of the North Island or not arrive until Sunday.

"That would be good."

Wheeler has another angle - victory tomorrow would promote the chances of selection for Real Tonic into the world's richest jumping race, the Nakayama Grand Jump next autumn.

"Yes, I think he could be a type for the Nakayama.

"You've got to be a good jumper to tackle that race - there is no forgiveness in the fences.

"Most of the Aussie horses can't manage the fences, but he's a good jumper and would manage.

"You've got to be nimble and quick and he was close to an open handicapper on the flat and won a Waikato Hurdles, so he's got a bit of style."

And he's out to show it off in one of the great races at Ellerslie tomorrow afternoon.


$100,000 Great Northern Steeples

Real Tonic would have been a deserving winner of Jumper Of The Year at the awards dinner last night.

Unfortunately he was not nominated.

He is favourite to take jumping's great prize tomorrow after a runaway win in the Pakuranga Hunt Cup on the course two weeks ago.

Trainer Davina Waddell says ignore the apparent bad recent formline of last year's winner Just The Man.

Last year's winner Just The Man enjoys firmer footing.


The odds

* $2 Real Tonic
* $4.40 The Storytella
* $5.50 I'manace
* $7 Just The Man
* $8.50 Fenman
* $17 Imperial Warrior
* $31 Kia King
* $41 No Yarn.