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Toulouse Lautrec maintained his jumps dominance this season when he overcame his dislike of the Sandown track to win the Australian Steeplechase there on Saturday.
Trainer Chris Hyland said he was concerned how the 7-year-old would handle his return to the track for the 3900m feature after suffering
his only jumps defeat when second to Rough Night there in April.
"I don't know why he doesn't like it here but I was a bit apprehensive about him wandering down and heading out with the wrong attitude today," Hyland said on Saturday.
He said the former Queensland Derby winner was a temperamental horse who didn't respond to being ordered around and at Sandown needed to be kidded to when walking from his stall to the mounting yard.
Hyland said his confidence improved when he saw Toulouse Lautrec relaxed when he paraded in the mounting yard. Toulouse Lautrec made it six wins from seven jumps starts under a dashing frontrunning ride from Craig Durden.
The gelding started the $2.05 favourite and appeared to jump cleaner than in the past to dominate the race, scoring by 4 1/4 lengths from Sugar Daad ($17) with Anyone We Know ($6.50) a further 3 1/4 lengths away in third.
Durden, who won the Australian Steeplechase 11 years ago on Ricochet Rhythm, said Toulouse Lautrec had to be admired for the way he handled the biggest challenge of his career.
"First time up to 3900m, with 67kg on his back - a big rise in weight from last start - on soft ground was just a great effort," Durden said.
He said the others had their chance to beat him but giant leaps over the last two jumps ensured his victory.
"Late in the race he was under a bit of pressure and if something was good enough to beat him they had their chance," Durden said.
"But he just keeps going and he stepped the last two fences super."
Hyland is making a name for himself as a jumps trainer and two years ago won the Grand National Steeplechase with Personal Drum after he finished a fast-finishing second to Laughing In Dubai in the Australian Steeplechase. Hyland said Toulouse Lautrec would not run again before the Grand National (4000m) at Flemington in three weeks.
"It is fairly easy work with him now," Hyland said. "He is at a level of fitness that is fine and he will probably have one decent gallop between now and the National."
Hyland has already confirmed with the Racing Victoria handicapping department that Toulouse Lautrec will carry 68kg in the Grand National.
"The only time weight becomes an issue is when you get heavy ground but at Flemington it shouldn't get too wet," Hyland said.
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Amid the celebrations of winning her second Australian Hurdle and her first as a trainer with Emgee Rex at Sandown, Lyn Tolson refused to commit to a Grand National Hurdle start with the gelding. Tolson was thrilled with the victory but still clearly unhappy with the 68kg he had to carry, one of the highest winning weights in the past 50 years.
"I would love to win the National but we will just have to see what weight he gets," she said on Saturday. "I thought we had a bit too much weight today and I don't want to destroy him or break his heart. We will have to see what the handicapper gives him and then sit down and work it out."
Three-time Nakayama Grand Jump winner Karasi was the last horse to win the Australian Hurdle with 68kg. The Shu won the race for the second time with 69.5kg in 1996, while Contador had 71.5kg in 1962 and Sundial carried 69kg in 1960.
The Grand National weight-carrying record for post-war winners is 70kg shared by Sir Agrifo (1989) and Eudunda (1947).
Emgee Rex earned his big weight after he bettered the course record when beating Australia's best jumper Some Are Bent in the Lachal Hurdle at Flemington two weeks ago.
Tolson said Saturday's win was special for both her and her 32-year-old daughter Leonie Proctor, who, in her first season as a trainer, prepared Jarl to win the Australian Hurdle in 2000.
Tolson part-owned Jarl who also finished sixth in the 2000 Grand National Hurdle.
"It is wonderful to win this race again," Tolson said.
"I don't mind this sort of history repeating itself." Proctor still trains horses alongside her mother at Mornington and rides Emgee Rex all his work and straps him on racedays.
Tolson acknowledged the prestige of the Australian Hurdle and the difficulty of trying to win it.
"The first one was great but it is over and done with and now we know how hard it is to get a second one."
Adrian Garraway won the Australian Hurdle on Jarl and also rode Emgee Rex ($11) who, on Saturday, made a charge halfway up the straight to win by 2 1/4 lengths from Charted ($26) with Bullecourt ($21) three-quarters of a length away in third.
Garraway has now won the race five times, more than any other jockey still riding. His other winners were Corrupted (2005) and The Shu (1995-96).
- AAP
