KEY POINTS:
Black Eagle was out in front and out of trouble during the running of an action-packed $60,000 Wellington Steeplechase at Trentham yesterday.
Only seven starters contested the gruelling 5500m feature and two of these ran off during the race, failing to jump a fence, and leaving five runners to contest the prize money.
Black Eagle raced in the first two throughout, powering to the front on the final lap of the figure-eight course and easing down at the finish to win by 15 lengths over Waitete Boy.
A further 75 lengths away third was Just A Swagger. No Yarn and Fenman were both pulled up.
No Yarn was remounted and completed the course to finish fifth for stake money of $1375. When he was returned to birdcage it was 15 minutes after the race start time.
Black Eagle is proving to be an elite equine athlete, effortlessly handling the tricky Trentham course and completing an impressive Waikato-Wellington Steeplechase double for Riccarton-based trainer Kevin Hughes.
The bold striding 7-year-old's next start will be the $60,000 Grand National Steeplechase at Riccarton on August 11.
There was an early sensation when the favourite, Jump To It, was run off by Waitete Boy at the second fence of the double in the centre of the figure-eight course and did not finish.
* Van Winkle will never achieve superstar status in New Zealand thoroughbred racing alongside Sunline or Xcellent, but the ageless gelding created his own piece of history.
The rising 11-year-old is the type of racehorse every owner wants - tough, consistent and durable - as was evident when carrying 67kg to victory while making it back-to-back wins in the $60,000 Wellington Hurdles.
Van Winkle has raced at the Trentham winter meeting every year since his debut season as a 2-year-old.
A proven performer on the flat, Van Winkle has been a sensational jumps performer for Wanganui-based trainers Evan and J J Rayner.
From 85 starts Van Winkle has scored 18 wins, 14 seconds and 10 thirds and more than $410,000 in stake earnings.
Van Winkle left no excuses for the opposition racing on the pace throughout in the hands of jockey Jamie Gillies and powering clear in the home stretch to win by five lengths over Striking.
A further four lengths away third was Diamondsareforever.
Rayner, who has been training for 37 years, rates Van Winkle as the best horse he has trained.
"I have had some good horses but nothing that's won that many races and keeps going.
"And he's won good races. You never know whether he's come to the end of it or if he's going to keep going. But he just keeps going."
Rayner said Van Winkle would now probably head south for the Grand National meeting next month.
* Martini Red made a one-horse race of the $60,000 Northland Breeders Stakes at Ruakaka leading throughout to win by one length over fast finishing stablemate Vanny Fair.
A further half-length away third was Align To Infinity.
The hot favourite is unbeaten in three starts for Cambridge trainer Ross Elliot and was well-rated in front by jockey Rogan Norvall.
