Racing: 'Cast-off' leads opponents a merry chase at Hastings

Have horse, will travel is Matamata trainer Bob Autridge's motto and Mr Barrymore looks like taking him around the country.

The Tanker Port gelding scored a decisive win in yesterday's $25,000 Hawkes Bay Hurdles at Hastings and will now be headed for the $40,000 Wellington Hurdles on July 16 and $60,000 Grand National Hurdles at Riccarton next month.

Autridge said they would also look at the Great Northern Steeplechase at Ellerslie in September.

Autridge has had Mr Barrymore in his care for only 12 months. The nine-year-old was previously trained by Peter Jenkins and had won six races on the flat. "I got him as a cast-off," Autridge said.

"They thought he'd had enough but I liked him and thought he'd make a jumper and had some guys who were keen to take him over."

Autridge gave the horse one more start on the flat before stepping him out over hurdles and said the horse took to jumping straight away.

Yesterday's win was his third over fences and he has also recorded seven minor placings over hurdles.

It followed a game second behind Van Winkle in last month's Awapuni Hurdles.

Mr Barrymore was ridden by Nathan Hanley who recorded his biggest hurdle success.

"I've had a couple of bigger wins over steeples including the Wellington Steeplechase on Harrison Ford," Hanley said.

The versatile rider has enjoyed a great week as he also picked up two wins in flat races at Thursday's Oamaru meeting.

Mr Barrymore took the lead approaching the last fence and ran clear to win by 2 3/4 lengths from It's A Steal, with half a length back to Just A Swagger in third place.

Hot favourite No Hero took out his second Hawkes Bay Steeples yesterday - but not before giving his many supporters a huge fright at the last fence.

The grey had cruised to the front inside the final 600 metres of the 4800-metre event and he only had to negotiate the last obstacle to win. But he ploughed through the fence, dipping badly on landing and shooting rider Jonathan Riddell forward.

It showed just how good No Hero is that he was able to quickly pick himself up and race away to a score by 8 1/2 lengths.

Riddell blamed himself for the blunder, saying he sat up on the horse a few strides before the jump instead of riding him into it.

"I didn't want to ask him for too big a jump and thought I'd just let him do it himself but it nearly backfired on me," Riddell said. "I know now I should have kicked him into it."

No Hero appeared to be unscathed, a relief for his trainer Paul Nelson who has spent two years returning the horse to full fitness after a tendon injury threatened to end his career.

No Hero injured his nearside foreleg after he won the 2003 running of the Hawkes Bay Steeples and just when Nelson was getting him ready for a tilt at the Grand National Steeples at Riccarton.

The horse was sidelined for 12 months then and had another year off after another tendon flared up.

No Hero resumed over fences with a 14 length victory in last month's Manawatu Steeples and was clearly a class above his rivals again yesterday.

"He's something else, this horse," an obviously impressed Riddell said.

Nelson will bypass the Wellington Steeples and set No Hero for the $60,000 Grand National Steeples again in August.

Nelson and his wife Carol bred No Hero and have a six-year-old full-brother to him, called No Rushin, coming on.

Lucky Tip was the best of No Hero's rivals yesterday, battling on well to get second by 1 1/4 lengths from Al Burkan. The early pacemaker, Bart, faded over the final stages to finish fourth.

Jockey Jamie Gillies predicted a big steeplechasing future for Tacit Approval after riding the horse to a 3 1/4 length victory in the Waipukurau Wines and Spirits Hunt Steeples at Hastings yesterday.

"He's a good horse in the making, especially over the big fences," Gillies said.

Tacit Approval was making his steeplechasing debut after a win and five minor placings over hurdles.

"To win like he did over these big Hastings fences showed how good he is," Gillies said.

"If you can get around here you can get around anywhere."

Tacit Approval sat just off the pace for much of the 4000-metre race and made only one jumping mistake.

"He stood off too far at the one by the 800 and just about came down but apart from that he jumped real good," Gillies said.

Tacit Approval is trained at Cambridge by Murray Baker and had won two races on the flat before reverting to jumping.

Although there were four jumping races on yesterday's Hawkes Bay programme Tacit Approval was the only ride for Gillies on the day.

"I was supposed to ride some others for Tony Cole but he pulled them out of the meeting," Gillies said.