Racing: Houston toasts her absent friend

Shelley Houston has one of the happiest smiles in winter racing. Photo / Natalie Slade

Shelley Houston was enjoying a lager after the completion of racing at Ellerslie yesterday to celebrate the win of Climbing High in the $20,000 Solutions 3Sixty Open Steeplechase.

She just wished Climbing High could have joined her in the pleasure.

The horse she rates as her mate once again staggered the Cambridge horsewoman with his bravery in winning the last big steeplechase of the jumping season.

Climbing High carried a debilitating 69.5kg - 3.5kg more than the next in the handicap - and out-toughed the opposition.

"He's such a star, this horse," said Houston. "I've worked out how to ride him and I tried to sit quietly on him.

"I might have looked like a dick sitting wide outside the leaders, but that's what he likes - he likes to see his fences."

Despite that Climbing High was strong late in the race and with Houston looking to get the last run at the leaders, the veteran ran past the pace horses from the 400m and won well.

"I was pretty confident for most of the race, because he just wants to win.

"If you fall off him - and I did one start this year - he just keeps going to beat the others.

"He always just wants to win."

Climbing High's victory yesterday is an enormous credit to the 11-year-old, but also to Mark Weal and his veteran father Bill, who have done a magnificent job of keeping the horse going through what has been a very tough campaign.

This winter Climbing High has raced in eight steeplechases and one hurdle race and covered 45,000m.

"I'm just so stoked for him," says his favourite fan, who sits on his back.

If yesterday's undercard threw up a horse to follow it was probably Paul Nelson's Yorkie, who won the Te Hana Maiden Ellerslie Steeplechase under Richard Cully.

Yorkie has limited experience, but showed plenty of stamina towards the end of the 4150m trip to run away from the opposition.

The Caulfield Cup has been the best Melbourne Cup guide since jockeys first wore skull caps.

No so sure how much of a guide we got from Saturday's confusing race.

The winner, Southern Speed, isn't in the Cup and although runner-up Green Moon was stiff enough to be caught wide on Saturday, you didn't want to go out and buy a new car on the hope of his Melbourne Cup chances, even though he is a definite winning chance the way the race is shaping up.

Lucas Cranach, the German horse now with the Freedman camp, is a chance after his close-up fifth.

It's well documented the problems they have had with him with a hoof quarter crack, but he didn't seem too bothered by that with his bold showing in the Caulfield Cup.

It's fair to assume the horse will improve with that effort.

Quarter cracks can be tricky, but if there is quick improvement, he might be the horse they have to beat in the Melbourne Cup.

Even allowing for that, you get the feeling there is more to come before the Melbourne Cup comes into focus.

Like, how has French stayer Americain come back this time, which we will find out this weekend?

He is now the Cup favourite - albeit very loose - at $8 ahead of Green Moon on $9, followed by Lion Tamer who, surprisingly, is $13 in New Zealand and $11 in Australia. Lucas Cranach is $11 ahead of Shamrocker, $15, and Jukebox Jury, $17.

There is a lot of drama to go through before the Melbourne Cup picture comes into focus.

A decision on whether Southern Speed backs up in next Saturday's Cox Plate will not be made until today.

Trainer Leon Macdonald said the mare had come through her exertions in fine form but he would not be rushed into a decision.