Racing: Rider ups work rate to be on Easystreet and eat a bit

By MIKE DILLON

Clayton Chipperfield has promised to do enough work this week to prevent starvation blues at the weekend.

Chipperfield went 72 hours without food to ride impressive winner Mr Easystreet at 62kg in Saturday's $27,500 Koral Steeplechase at Riccarton.

And it showed when the talented jumps jockey brought Mr Easystreet back after a massive home straight struggle with San Sebastian.

"I was gone - I took longer to recover than the horse."

Mr Easystreet has the same weight in this week's Grand National Steeplechase, but Chipperfield swears he will not go through the same agony again.

"I'll be doing it a bit easier. I'll make sure I work hard so I can have a meal at least up until Thursday night instead of Wednesday, which is the last time I ate last week."

Just when you thought the Grand National might have had a yawn factor creeping in, Saturday's Koral set this week's feature up to be a thriller.

You can make a case that San Sebastian will improve dramatically on his close second, last year's winner Cuchulainn will be much better off over the longer distance on Saturday and even Mr Easystreet, according to Chipperfield, is subject to improvement.

San Sebastian's jockey, Michelle Hopkins, is adamant he would have won the Koral but for knuckling over in front as he landed over the final fence.

"I had the race won at that point and even Clayton was starting to panic because I'd headed him and Mr Easystreet had nothing left when we landed over the last."

Hopkins said San Sebastian jumped the fence well, but crumbled in front and was lucky not to fall.

"I was sure we were gone.

"It was a huge effort to pick himself up again and be beaten only half a head."

Hopkins retires from the saddle in eight weeks to get married and victory in the last of the three major steeplechases of the winter would be appropriate.

The key is the distance.

"Kevin [trainer Kevin Hughes] said when he legged me on [for the Koral] that the horse would be looking for more distance," said Hopkins.

"For the first round and a half he was just chugging along."

Hopkins believes the first three home on Saturday are likely to be the trifecta in the Grand National, but not necessarily in the same order.

"I still think Cuchulainn is the one to beat, but whether the 68kg anchors him remains to be seen."

Chipperfield believes the 68kg will prove beyond Cuchulainn.

"He was struggling to keep up with us most of the way in this race."

Cuchulainn's trainer, Bob Autridge, is mindful of the 68kg, but was encouraged by his horse finishing only 12 lengths back third after giving the first two a decent start going into the last 1600m.

"You keep thinking back to the race he missed at Wellington. He's pulled up well and he should improve. He put in a real stayer's finish and there's a fair bit more distance this week."

Chipperfield is relying on Saturday's hard race taking the edge off the free-running Mr Easystreet and allowing him to see out the tough Grand National distance.

"He should be fine if I can get him to relax earlier that I did [in the Koral] and I think I can."

The race was marred by the demise of veteran Willie Tee, who had to be humanely destroyed after falling heavily at the fence at the top of the home straight with a round to travel.

Owner and co-trainer Kevin O'Conner, although emotional, took the setback with his usual sportsmanship and commented, "I should be able to get Sir Avion into the Grand National on Saturday".