KEY POINTS:
Hypnotise is a coming star of the jumping scene.
The only skill Hypnotise lacks at the moment is experience, but even that couldn't beat him in Saturday's Ken and Roger Browne Memorial Steeplechase at Te Rapa.
Twice the two-from-two jumper tried to beat himself and with a rider
of less experience than Jonathan Riddell he might have succeeded.
Hypnotise's previous jumping win was over much smaller fences at Wanganui and he wasn't sure of himself going over the first five or six big, bold Te Rapa fences on Saturday, doing his best to hurdle most of them.
Riddell rode a magical race, saving ground along the inside through the centre with a lap to travel and got the Wanganui visitor in behind the leaders with three fences to jump.
The game was nearly up when Hypnotise ducked out sharply into the line of eventual runner-up Sam McClay approaching the second-last fence and gave Riddell a torrid time trying to keep him on a straight path between the last two fences.
Despite that the 4 lengths Hypnotise put between himself and Sam McClay without being really punched out was clear evidence of his star quality.
Hypnotise returned with a badly gashed hind leg that needed veterinary attention and the plate missing from his near-side front foot, both probably a result of the tangle with Sam McClay, who lost the plate from his off-side front foot.
Owner and trainer Raymond Connors is a young man of few words, but he couldn't wipe away the smile as he waited for Hypnotise to return to the birdcage.
Connors will return in two weeks to attempt to repeat the victory he achieved in the $50,000 Waikato Steeplechase with the highly talented Our Jonty, a horse he compares Hypnotise to.
Under New Zealand's jumping structure it is virtually impossible for the top-class horses to dodge each other and Hypnotise's win presented Riddell with an awkward phone call.
For the Waikato Steeples he had to excuse himself from a commitment to Imanace, on whom he was a close second to Real Tonic in last year's Great Northern Steeplechase.
Riddell was understandably impressed on Saturday.
"Usually it takes a couple of runs around Te Rapa to get used to these big fences."
Trainer Gary Vile was equally satisfied with the performance of Sam McClay as a trial for the Waikato Steeples and rider Eddie Lamb thought the stablemate Fenman went well for his third.
"He'll be harder to beat over the longer distance in two weeks."
Lupton dismayed at ride
Isaac Lupton wanted to beat himself up after losing on raging favourite Bodie at Te Rapa, but winning rider Tommy Hazlett thought it was unnecessary.
Lupton thought he'd taken it too lightly on Bodie, who was run down late by Ravanelli in what was the Auckland Cup winner's long-awaited jumping debut.
"I thought we were certain to win in the home straight - I should have got up him more at the second-last fence," said a disappointed Lupton.
Hazlett was certain it made no difference.
"I'd have won anyway," he said.
Hazlett said he would have been challenging Bodie earlier had the breaks come sooner in the closing stages.
"I needed a gap big time on the home bend. When it came my bloke simply flew home."
Ravanelli had good flat form when trained at Takanini and is these days under the care of Craig Thornton at Matamata.
The grey had raced over fences only five times previously and Hazlett feels he has a future.
"To be fair, absolutely everything went his way this time - it was rails, rails, one off and a late run at the leader."
The horse's main asset, he believes, is his relaxed nature.
"When he goes to sleep he does nothing. That will help him win a race over a longer distance than today's."
Hazlett was wearing an even bigger smile two races later despite this time finishing second on Riccarton-trained Dan Moran to Norville Prince and Isaac Lupton.
The South Island rider was delighted with Dan Moran and even threw in a protest alleging interference in the closing stages.
"Had the winning margin been half a length instead of three lengths I would have kept going rather than withdrawing the protest after I'd seen the video."
Norville Prince was bought at auction last year for $18,000 by Kevin Myers, who gifted the horse to Barry Moss, father of trainer Joanne Moss, who prepares the grey on the beach at Gisborne.
Norville Prince won the same race a year ago when raced and trained by Neville Bakalich.
Joanne Moss said she would bring Norville Prince north again on Saturday week to try to win the $50,000 Waikato Hurdles, a race she won two years ago with Blake's Boy.
Praise The Lord injured
Hot favourite Praise The Lord injured himself and tailed the field in the Iverquantel Hurdles.
Praise The Lord slipped and spread himself as he landed out of the starting stalls and owner, trainer and rider Rochelle Lockett said the horse felt terrible throughout the race. "He ran his fences down, which he never does and he hung the whole way."
A vets exam showed Praise The Lord to be stiff and sore in the hindquarters when he cooled off, but the problem has yet to be diagnosed.