Racing: Hunt Cup an ideal entree to big event

Amanood Lad and jockey Steve Pateman came third. Photo / Brett Phibbs

Brooks and Jack Romanov carry family ambitions in Great Northern Steeplechase.

Few things in horse racing are more important than history.

Somewhere between the second and third champagne in the Winners' Circle room at Ellerslie racecourse on Saturday, Pakuranga Hunt Cup history reared its significant head.

Rick Mannering of the Pakuranga Hunt Club did the presentation. Mark Brooks, trainer of the winner, tired from cheering Jack Romanov home in a tight finish, finally laughed when Mannering said: "Old Harold will be sitting up there [we all knew he meant heaven] having a whiskey and saying: 'That's great, but how come it took so long?'."

Mark Brooks' grandfather, Harold, was the longtime master of the Pakuranga Hunt Club, and 46 years to the day before Saturday won the Pakuranga Hunt Cup with Prince Charles.

This was a family affair. Mark Brooks' father, Roger, had also been a longtime player at the Pakuranga Hunt, and to win this race was special.

But for all that, there is just one steeplechase that matters, along with Riccarton's Grand National, the Great Northern Steeplechase, coming up at Ellerslie on September 5.

The way Jack Romanov won on Saturday, determined right to the finish, he is a serious Great Northern contender.

And what a great family result that would be.

The Brooks family, three generations, have produced four Great Northern Steeplechase seconds without success.

"We deserve one," said Mark Brooks with a bit of feeling in the Ellerslie birdcage on Saturday.

"We've run seconds with Myths And Legends twice and The Image Maker twice.

"Be nice if this was our turn."

Romanov and Melbourne-based Irish rider Richard Cully took the fight to leader and favourite Amanood Lad coming down the Ellerslie Hill the last time.

The pair fought hard approaching the last fence, but five strides off Amanood Lad looked beaten.

Over the final fence, Romanov went ahead and looked the winner.

Snowdroptwinkletoes, toiling in the rear most of the way, dashed home, but Romanov put him to the sword quickly.

"I thought coming down the Hill I had him [Amanood Lad] beaten because of his weight, but he's such a good horse you can never be confident of beating him," said Cully.

Victorian jockey Steve Pateman was not devastated over Amanood Lad being beaten.

The late-developing veteran looked as though he was racing slightly through the bridle in a keen state for much of the race, but Pateman didn't agree.

"No, he galloped the whole way, but he didn't quicken like he did last start."

So, disappointing from a Great Northern angle? "No, I thought that was a pretty good trial."

History to be made
•The Brooks family have awaited a long time to win the Great Northern Steeplechase.
•Saturday's Pakuranga Hunt Cup winner Jack Romanov looks an ideal prospect after his classy win.
•Steve Pateman is still confident Amanood Lad is on track for the Ellerslie feature despite being well beaten.