Racing: First-day form has Wheeler confident of eighth success

There's a reason why John Wheeler has always roared ahead in life - he never looks back.

When they told him on Saturday night he was a huge chance to win the A$160,000 Great Eastern Steeplechase at Oakbank again today he wasn't sure that if he did, how many times that would be.

"They told me I've won it seven times yesterday," said Wheeler.

That should read eight by tonight.

If you watched Wheeler's horse Petushki flash home into a close second in Saturday's A$100,000 Von Dousa Steeplechase you won't want to be on anything else in South Australia's biggest jumps race today. The performance was remarkable. Petushki looked out of the race when well back in the field until the 1200m, from where he made ground strongly on the leaders and would have beaten the Melbourne-trained Vindicating in one more stride.

Stablemate Banna Strand also finished strongly from last in running to be not far from the placegetters.

John Wheeler is a legend at Oakbank, where he has made the Great Eastern almost his own race.

His method has always been that to be a chance to win the big one on Easter Monday, a horse has to run in the Von Dousa 48 hours before.

Run, but not have a gut-buster. Be fit for Monday, but not over the top.

Petushki and Banna Strand fit that scenario beautifully.

"Yeah, I couldn't be happier with those runs," Wheeler told the Herald from South Australia yesterday.

"The pleasing thing is that both horses have pulled up sensationally.

"Banna Strand should have finished closer, but he got hooked up when that horse fell mid-race. Both my horses are going to love the 4950m."

Vindicating is not backing up. "The field is falling away and will probably have only seven or eight runners."

Another plus is the weather. "Today is the best day we've had since we've been here and the weather is predicted to continue. My two like good ground so it's going to suit them."

A sad feature for Wheeler is that his great mate and Melbourne-based former Kiwi Brett Scott won't be riding either of his horses.

Scott, a huge part of the Oakbank success, yesterday declared publicly that the injuries he suffered in a race fall on the flat on Cox Plate Day last year might have spelt the end of his riding career.

His back injuries have not healed naturally and he believes inevitable surgery will prevent him from coming back to his high-profile riding career.

He is regarded in the jumps industry of Victoria and South Australia as an all-time great.