Racing: Victory all the sweeter after injury

We've all seen jockeys get so excited that their victory whip waves have almost been artistic.

Nathan Hanley was so ecstatic about winning yesterday's $20,000 Maramarua Hunt Steeplechase aboard Just The Man that he gave his last flourish to the crowd three seconds before he climbed off the hugely talented jumper in the birdcage weigh-in.

It almost wasn't about winning this race at Paeroa.

It was about losing the winning Just The Man ride in the $100,000 Great Northern Steeplechase to a broken leg THEN winning this race, the last of the winter for the horse.

Hanley rode Just The Man with so much determination and aggression you got the impression he might have jumped off and carried the horse if it made the difference.

"Actually, I wanted it as much for the horse, he's one of my favourites."

Trainer Davina Waddell would love the New Zealand invite to the world's richest jumping event, the Nakayama Grand Jump in Tokyo, a race to which the brilliant No Hero is probably favourite to be invited.

Waddell got an enormous thrill in the early 1980s when Just The Man's sire, the Derby-winning Isle Of Man, whom she half owned, was invited to the first Japan Cup, at the time the world's richest horse race.

He finished unplaced for Melbourne trainer George Hanlon.

Just The Man was stylish in winning, even allowing the other two strongly fancied runners, Primo Canera and Wexford Bay, appeared inconvenienced by the heavy track.

Hanley believes Just The Man is at least as zippy, brilliant and agile as No Hero to handle the tricky Nakayama Grand Jump.

"In fact, I think Just The Man is even more dashing, even though No Hero is a terrific horse.

"He's got spark in him. When I was hurt I was trying to convince Davina to run him in the Great Northern Hurdles rather than the Steeplechase.

"As it turned out he was in the right race, but he's got real zip."

Thirty-five minutes earlier Hanley had another big moment when he rode Honestly to an all-the-way victory in the intermediate steeplechase for Bob Autridge.

His job was made easier when the hot favourite, the John Wheeler-trained Val Ewe, nearly flipped at the last of five fences through the middle with a lap of the track to travel.

"He needs a bigger, more expansive track," said Brett Scott, who travelled from Melbourne to ride the Wheeler team.

"He caught the second of the double wrong both times and he hadn't got his balance back when he nearly went at that next fence."

Wheeler had declared before yesterday that with one or two exceptions he was worried about the heavy Paeroa track for his big team.

Rocky Point, one of those he said wouldn't mind the footing, won the maiden steeplechase thanks to a magnificent tide by Scott and High Season, the horse he thought would have more trouble than any with conditions, scored the easiest win in the $20,000 Pub Charity Hurdles.

Scott sat back last on High Season, looped the field from the 900m and won as he liked.

"He doesn't like that ground, but was just too good for them."

The Taranaki trainer has become a legend in jumping circles in South Australia and Victoria and next autumn will take his strongest team ever to Australia.

High Season could be a freak for him on the firm South Australian tracks and he will be joined by Midnight Opal, Wexford Bay, evergreen St Steven and Oliverdance.

"My horses who were beaten in the first two races today, Group Result and Wild Enthusiasm, are also very talented types who were beaten by the conditions today."

Val Ewe and Rocky Point will remain in New Zealand because they prefer rain-affected footing.