Photo: Peter Rubery, Race Images
By Kevin Robertson, LOVERACING.NZ News Desk
A perfectly judged ride by Shaun Fannin helped pave the way for West Coast (Mettre En Jeu x Testament) to add another feature steeplechasing event to his blossoming career record when the pair took out the Grant Plumbing Wellington Steeplechase (5500m) at Trentham.
In an exciting display of jumping set up by tearaway pacemaker Izymydaad, Fannin and second favourite West Coast ($2.50) sat back in the field of six as they covered all the moves of topweight and race favourite The Cossack ($2).
With 1000m to run Izymydaad started to come back to field after leading by more than 100m during the middle stages as Donardo, Argyll and the favoured pair began to hunt him down.
In what proved to be the pivotal moment of the race Argyll fell at the second last fence, checking stablemate The Cossack which allowed West Coast to get a crucial break on his rival as Fannin urged him into contention.
Izymydaad and West Coast cleared the last together with the latter proving too strong in the shadows of the post to record his sixth career victory for trainer Mark Oulaghan, with The Cossack picking himself up again to finish an unlucky third.
“He toughed it out very well and I thought it was a good, brave win,” Oulaghan said.
“The ground out there was very gluey and was anchoring them a fair bit, but he got in a good rhythm and picked his fences well.
“I guess we got the rub of the green a little when The Cossack copped his check as it looked like he was going to be right in it.
“As long as he pulls up well he will head down to Riccarton to defend his Grand National crown as he likes the big fences down there as he showed last year.”
The 148th Racecourse & Motor Lodge Grand National Steeplechase (5600m) is one of the main jumping features at Riccarton on August 12.
The victory took the Letham Stud-bred West Coast’s career record to six wins from 26 starts and over $216,000 in prizemoney.
