Richard Edmunds, LOVERACING.NZ News Desk. Photo: Kenton Wright (Race Images)
Letham Stud-bred West Coast further cemented his status as one of New Zealand’s greatest ever steeplechasers with a stirring defence of his title in the $150,000 Ben & Ryan Foote Racing Great Northern Steeplechase (6500m) at Te Rapa on Sunday.
Both of West Coast’s Great Northern triumphs have come under gruelling 73kg topweights, and they sit proudly on his mantelpiece alongside his unprecedented three straight wins in the Grand National Steeplechase (5600m) at Riccarton.
All in all, the Williamson family’s jumping marvel has had 15 steeplechase starts for 11 wins, four placings and $555,035 in stakes.
“He’s probably the best I’ve had,” master jumps trainer Mark Oulaghan said. “He’s more or less the complete picture. He stays so well and he jumps every fence just about perfectly. He almost puts half a length on them at every fence. He’s a great jumper.
“It was a big effort today. He had to tough it out, and he really showed what he’s made of.”
In his first Great Northern victory last September, West Coast had to dig deep to withstand a withering late run from Captains Run down the home straight. West Coast called on all of his champion qualities that day and held on by an ever-shrinking margin of a short neck.
Fast-forward 12 months, and the 2024 Great Northern produced a thrilling rematch. West Coast was again lumped with his customary 73kg topweight, while Captains Run again got in on the 66kg minimum. For the second year in a row, Captains Run was the biggest threat. But for the second year in a row, West Coast repelled his challenge.
Jockey Shaun Fannin sent West Coast to the lead in the early stages of the 6500m gut-buster, but then he was happy to sit in second when Renegade Fighter went past him as the field made their way down the back straight on the first of three occasions.
After settling at the rear of the field for most of the race, Captains Run’s rider Nick Downs threw down the gauntlet with a bold move in the last lap. He swooped around the outside of the field, and by the turn out of the back straight, he had moved into second on the outside of Renegade Fighter.
That early move reversed the scenario of last year’s race, where West Coast took a clear lead in the home straight but then had to hold out Captains Run’s late charge. This time West Coast found himself two lengths behind his lighter-weighted rival and with a mountain to climb in the final 1000m.
Coming down the side of the track for the last time, Renegade Fighter’s mighty front-running effort took its toll. He began to give ground, while Captains Run and West Coast drove forward on either side of him.
Fannin skimmed along the inside rail on West Coast and clawed his way up alongside Captains Run, and it developed into a two-horse shootout down the straight. West Coast’s jumping prowess, class and courage shone through, pulling ahead of his gallant foe and opening up a winning margin of two and a quarter lengths. Captains Run was runner-up again, six lengths ahead of Auld Jock and Renegade Fighter.
“What a wonderful, wonderful animal he is,” Fannin said. “This horse means the world to me. He just keeps stepping up and carrying these big weights to win time-honoured races. He gives so much every time. He’s a champion.
“He got a soft lead in the first three-quarters of the first lap, and then the other one (Renegade Fighter) took over from there and he got a nice drag behind him.
“He’s such a good jumper, and combined with such a big heart, that makes him the champion that he is.
“I’ve got so much faith in his stamina and his jumping ability. When they put the pressure on going down the back the last time, I was confident that he’d be able to build his momentum up and catch up. Luckily enough we got a good run along the inside, and his staying ability was telling at the finish.”
Fannin has now won more Great Northern Steeplechases than any other jockey with six. His double on West Coast was preceded by victories on Kick Back (2016), Wise Men Say (2019), Magic Wonder (2020) and Kiddo (2022).
“It’s incredible to think of the great riders that have won the Great Northern in its long history,” Fannin said. “To be at the top of that list now is something I’ll have with me forever.”
Still only a nine-year-old, West Coast could potentially race overseas in future campaigns. Oulaghan suggested that the Mettre En Jeu gelding’s connections are likely to work through their options in the coming months.
“I’ll go wherever he goes,” Fannin said.
