Racing: Hypnotize could make it four

Hypnotize (outer) has just jumped the last and already nailed Karlos (obscured) and Franconero, with Fair King in his sights. Photo / Supplied

Raymond Connors has been reasonably keen to retire Hypnotize.

His father, Mark, wants to try to win a fourth Great Northern Steeplechase.

Why not?

It's not as though the marvel from Wanganui is going to retire to an academy and blind patrons with his stunning looks.

Today, Hypnotize will look like a million dollars to the Connors family and to rider Isaac Lupton, but to the rest of us he's the horse who walks past unnoticed.

Until he gets to the last 400m of a Great Northern Steeplechase and then he makes sure everyone notices.

Everyone.

Commentator George Simon was literally speaking for all of us when he said on the home bend on Saturday: "... Let's start riding him home from here."

At that point, we were all willing the 70.5kg, which would have felt like a dump truck after 6000m, to become insignificant.

It did, but the way it did is quite remarkable.

As he had in his 2009 and 2008 Great Northern victories, Hypnotize instantly switched from a horse apparently under severe pressure approaching the last fence to, on safely landing, one that had just joined in with fresh legs.

There was almost an arrogance about the way he strode past last year's winner, Fair King, who looked home again.

Even more astonishing, Hypnotize pricked his ears.

You don't like to say this - and we will only because the handicappers today look after top horses - Hypnotize could have won on Saturday with 71.5kg.

Perhaps 72kg would not have stopped him, so easily was he travelling from the 250m.

So weight wouldn't be a reason to retire him.

"He doesn't feel like he's carrying a big weight," said an animated Isaac Lupton.

Hypnotize looks the last horse that would be able to successfully carry big weights.

There is not much of him, but his attitude to a task that has at times buckled even topline jumpers is truly stunning.

What a race it would be if he lined up again next year.

Raymond Connors has now won four Great Northerns - he rode his own horse Our Jonty to victory in 1998 - and was very low key about Saturday's victory and the prospect of a possible fourth win for Hypnotize.

"I'm so pleased for the horse himself, he's marvellous, but I think about the fact that he's always got to the race injury-free where some horses might not have.

"We've been lucky to get him here four times.

"You get a bit nervous about it [the responsibility]."

The win again highlighted what a remarkable sire of jumpers is the Sir Tristram horse Yamanin Vital.

Lupton won the recent Grand National Steeplechase on another Yamanin Vital son, Counter Punch.

'I should ring Brian Anderton [who stood Yamanin Vital] and thank him," said Lupton.

Hypnotize is not the most dashing jumper, but he never looks like falling.

"He knuckled over a couple of times today, but he gets away with it," said Lupton.

"If he's not a champion he's certainly an Ellerslie champion."

Raymond Connors is involved with a massive family operation milking 1000 cows.

"I always make sure the cows are okay before I start work on the horses each day."

Which, he says, is one of the reasons he is always worried about the time he has to put into Hypnotize to have him ready for a Great Northern.

What's the bet Connors is up for it again next year?