KEY POINTS:
John Wheeler needed all of his legendary sense of humour yesterday but is hoping his grin will have returned by Monday.
The transtasman trainer arrived at one of his favourite venues, Oakbank in South Australia, dealing with the loss of one of his three Great Eastern Steeplechase contenders, Midnight Opal, who had to be put down on Thursday.
Midnight Opal broke a shoulder after falling at a fence at Oakbank during trackwork and couldn't be saved.
The mare, owned and trained by Wheeler, won four races including three over fences and earned just over $75,000.
"It's not a great start to the weekend but we're hoping things get better," Wheeler said.
It leaves Comand Performance and Real Bliss to carry the Wheeler colours in today's A$100,000 ($113,000) Von Doussa Steeplechase (3250m) and Monday's A$160,000 Great Eastern (4950m).
The Great Eastern could almost be renamed the "Wheeler Steeplechase".
Real Tonic won by 35 lengths last year and St Steven (2001), Foxboy (1997), Light Hand (1995-96), Tyrolia (1994) and Touch Judge (1993) have also saluted.
Comand Performance, the 2005 Great Northern Steeplechase winner, gives Wheeler a top chance of his eighth victory in the event.
Comand Performance, to be ridden by Wheeler's Victorian stable foreman Brett Scott, ran second to stablemate High Season in a Paeroa high-weight on March 28 as his final leadup.
"He's my best hope. He's done very well since he got here."
A likely firm track wouldn't be a problem, Wheeler said.
Not so for Real Bliss, to be ridden by Jonathan Riddell, who needs wet ground to produce his best.
"He needs rain but it doesn't look like we're going to get it."
New Zealand jumpers hold a strong hand in the Great Eastern with Mark Oulaghan's Grand National Hurdles winner Yourtheman also making the trip, with Tom Hazlett to ride.
Wheeler has three more runners aiming at Monday's A$100,000 Yalumba Classic Hurdle (3600m): High Season (Scott), Stockpile (Riddell) and Wild Enthusiasm (Adam Trinder).
High Season will run on the flat at Oakbank today while Stockpile and Wild Enthusiasm contest separate 2900m hurdle events.
Meanwhile, Wheeler's New Zealand Cup winner Pentathon will line up at Randwick today in the group two A$200,000 Chairman's Handicap (2600m) as a final leadup for the Sydney Cup (3200m) next Saturday.
Pentathon is coming off a third behind Quantum Dude and Thee Auld Hussie in the Waverley Cup, and there is a dearth of quality stayers, but the prospect of a slow track after recent rain in Sydney wasn't filling Wheeler with confidence.
"That's not great for him, we'd prefer a good track. It was wet when he won the New Zealand Cup but he laboured in it a bit."
The in-form Mark du Plessis will cross the Tasman for the mount.
Pentathon was rated a $17 chance for the Chairman's on New South Wales' TAB Sportsbet, and $13 for the Sydney Cup.
- NZPA
