West Coast enhances his status
WEST Coast cemented his status as one of New Zealand’s greatest steeplechasers with a stirring defence of his title in the $150,000 Great Northern Steeplechase at Te Rapa yesterday.
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 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 evershrinking margin of a short neck. Fastforward 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 gutbuster, 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 lighterweighted 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 frontrunning 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 twohorse shootout down the straight. West Coast pulled ahead and opened up a winning margin of two and aquarter lengths. Captains Run was runnerup again, six lengths ahead of Auld Jock and Renegade Fighter.
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). — LOVERACING.NZ News Desk
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