Racing: Bodle looking fit as a fiddle after a week of extra care

Wairarapa owner-trainer Alby MacGregor looks to have won the battle to have his star jumper Bodle at peak fitness for the $45,000 Wellington Steeplechase (5500m) at Trentham today.

Bodle, who is unbeaten in three steeplechase starts, had been under a cloud for the race after knocking a leg when winning at Trentham last Saturday.

MacGregor has spent considerable time this week putting ice packs and poultices on the injured leg and he declared yesterday that all was well with the horse.

Regular rider Jonathan Riddell made a special trip to ride the horse in work at Opaki in Masterton and later told MacGregor that he felt "extra good".

MacGregor also got his vet to inspect Bodle and he was quite happy with his progress.

"The swelling has come down and there is no soreness in the leg at all," MacGregor said.

"The leg has just kept improving every day and his progress has been very pleasing."

MacGregor said he did not expect Bodle to lose any fitness as a result of the injury.

"The only day he didn't work was Monday and I normally give him a couple of days off after a hard race anyway," he said.

MacGregor is confident Bodle will cope with the 5500m journey despite the fact that he has not raced past 4100m previously.

"I wouldn't think it would be a problem - he has had plenty in hand at the end of his races."

The good footing out in the centre of the figure-of-eight course will also suit Bodle as well as his weight of 61kg - the lightest he has carried in a jumping race for more than two years.

He is more used to having in the vicinity of 67 or 68kg.

Bodle originally opened up joint favourite with Sir Avion in the TAB's fixed-odds market this week at $2.50 but the market swung in Sir Avion's favour after he attracted a $4000 bet at $2.50 and when word of Bodle's injury came out.

Sir Avion remained a $2 favourite yesterday with Bodle at $2.75. The next best supported was Mi Senor at $9, just ahead of Our Bro ($10).

Cambridge entrant Our Bro displayed his fitness with a solid hit-out over the figure-of-eight course yesterday.

Rider Wayne Hillis was pleased with the way he handled the Trentham fences and both he and trainer Sheryl Douglas are satisfied with his condition leading into the race.

Douglas would have preferred not to miss a run when the Hawkes Bay Steeplechase was abandoned last month but pointed to the fact that Our Bro had not raced for a month when he ran second to Suembul in the MacGregor Grant Steeplechase at Ellerslie on June 16.

That was due to a boil on his neck which ruled out a start in the Great Northern Steeplechase.

Since the MacGregor Grant, he has had a run on the flat at Pukekohe.

Our Bro will be attempting to emulate his brothers Hidden Keel and Clem, who both won over the Trentham figure-of-eight course. Hidden Keel won a novice chase on the track in 1995 and subsequently ran fourth in the Wellington Steeplechase that year. He returned three years later and was fourth in the feature again.

Clem won the Eric Riddiford Steeplechase in 1998 but never contested the Wellington Steeplechase.

Douglas said Our Bro had taken a little longer than his brothers to show form.

"The whole family have got better as they have got older but Our Bro didn't show an awful lot on the flat and it is only since we started'chasing him that he has come of age," she said.

Our Bro strung together a winning treble over fences last spring including a first-up win in open company at Ellerslie when he beat Smart Hunter and Keen as well as two of his rivals tomorrow - All Rhythm and Fair Brother.

Like Bodle, Our Bro is going to enjoy the good footing in the centre of the track today and pair could lead their rivals a merry chase.

"Sir Avion and Bodle are obviously big shows, but he'll be right in it, I'm sure of that," Hillis, said.

Hillis has a positive outlook on Our Bro's tendency to hang. "He hangs outwards at Te Rapa, inwards at Ellerslie - he might go straight here."

- NZPA