Locals out for Ellerslie spoils

Taranaki stables hold a strong hand in the $85,000 Great Northern Steeplechase at Ellerslie tomorrow.

Three of the 12 acceptors entered in the gruelling 6400m contest, which includes three times over the steep Ellerslie hill, are trained at New Plymouth.

John Wheeler will saddle Mali Juraj and Petushki for the race, while Sandy Dravitzki lines up Floor Play.

Petushki goes into the race having finished a gallant third in last month's Grand National Steeples behind Counter Punch and Yourtheman.

Mali Juraj is an interesting runner having been flown in from Australia after performing well in major races in Melbourne during the winter.

Mali Juraj is by Yamanin Vital, an outstanding sire of jumpers, and earned $A50,000 in stake money in his Victorian campaign, including finishing second in the Grand Annual Steeples at Warrnambool in May. Since then he has won a highweight at Moe and run fourth in the Crisp Steeplechase and was a last-start third in the Australian Grand National at Sandown on August 15.

"I'm very happy with my two," Wheeler said at the Waverley races yesterday. "They are both genuine winning chances."

Wheeler sent his runners north on Wednesday, taking the opportunity to give the horses a sighter of the Ellerslie country.

"Mali Juraj jumped a bit high early on but he came down eventually and they both acquitted themselves pretty well," Wheeler said.

Wheeler has previously brought a horse back from Melbourne to contest feature jumping races in New Zealand and taken away the spoils.

He did it with Real Tonic in 2006, who returned home from a successful raid to Melbourne to win the Pakuranga Hunt Cup-Great Northern Steeples double.

On that occasion, leading Melbourne jumps jockey Brett Scott rode Real Tonic and he crosses the Tasman again this weekend to partner Mali Juraj.

Dravitzki kept Floor Play up to the mark with a flat run at Tauranga last weekend, the horse finishing sixth of eight runners in the 2100m jumpers' flat.

Floor Play is yet to race over the Ellerslie hill, but Dravitzki is not worried about that lack of experience.

"He's raced over the Paeroa hill course and won that day," she said referring to Floor Play's impressive victory in the Inter Island Steeples.

"I couldn't be happier with him," Dravitzki said.

New Plymouth jumps riders Richard Eynon and Shannon Doyle have rides in the Great Northern Steeples – Eynon to partner Petushki and Doyle riding Floor Play.

- © Fairfax NZ News