New Zealand jumper Fontera has finished second in the lead-up race to the world's richest jumping race in Japan.
The race was the Pegasus Jump Stakes and Fontera's placing earned a stake of about $94,000.
Fontera was ridden by top New Zealand jumps rider Craig Thornton who will retain the
mount for the Nakayama Grand Jump on April 16. The race carries a stake of 152 million yen ($2.02 million).
Michael O'Leary, who owns Fontera in partnership with his brothers Dan and Shaun, said the horse loomed up as a winning prospect when making a line of three in the run to the line.
"He actually hit the front and looked like he had the other two covered," Michael O'Leary said from Japan yesterday.
"But then the eventual winner, Bar One Fountain, crept up along the inner to run us down by half a length - it was a fantastic race."
O'Leary said Fontera was pocketed on the rails in about third or fourth position for much of 3350m journey.
"It was a bit unusual for him [Fontera] not being in front, I guess, but he was kept in that pocket for most of the race and couldn't get rolling like he needs to.
"And about the 2000m mark he hit a fence pretty hard. Brett Scott [ex-pat Kiwi and rider of Australian entry Karasi] was behind us and heard the bang.
"Later he said he couldn't believe Fontera had stayed on his feet, let alone rallied again. Karasi went a great race too, finishing third."
O'Leary said he and his brothers and Wanganui trainer Kevin Myers had nothing but praise for the Japanese officials.
Fontera will be in the care of Gisborne trainer Joanne Moss while Myers travels to the United States.
"Kevin will return to Japan in about a week to put the final touches on the horse for the big one," O'Leary said.
Doubts over Fontera's ability to cope with the extra distance of the Nakayama Grand Jump (4250m) were dismissed by Thornton after Saturday's race.
"Craig said it took him another 1000m to pull him up after the Pegasus. He said he's such a big, boofhead you just wouldn't stop him," O'Leary said.
- NZPA
