Racing: Stable on target for double

New Plymouth trainer John Wheeler and Melbourne jockey Brett Scott have the Grand Nationals in their sights after a timely winning double with their headline jumpers Zagata and Yamanaura at Sandown during the week.

Scott, who has also been the Melbourne foreman for Wheeler since 1993, said the stable was in its best position to tackle the Nationals for a long time.

"We have a good strong team this year with eight jumpers but they [Zagata and Yamanaura] are our main two," Scott said.

Both horses responded positively to gear changes on Wednesday with Zagata stamping himself as a Grand National Steeplechase contender by winning the Redditch Steeplechase (3400m), while Yamanaura will target the Grand National Hurdle after winning the Mosstrooper Hurdle (3300m).

Scott said Zagata settled better with a crossover noseband on and a solid pace helped him as he ran home from the rear of the six finishers to score by 1 lengths from fellow New Zealander Spirit Of Alaton.

Owned by Sir Patrick Hogan and flamboyant trainer Graeme Rogerson, Zagata was having only his fifth start for the Wheeler stable and won the Great Southern Steeplechase at Mornington in May.

"He had some bad habits such as hanging and overracing but he's improved a bit and is a horse on the way up," Scott said.

This month's Ian Macdonald and Hiskens Steeplechases were lead-up targets for Zagata to August's Grand National Steeplechase which Wheeler and Scott combined to win with Crafty Dancer in 2002.

Yamanaura is looming as a major chance to give Wheeler his first Grand National Hurdle win and the third for Scott after he won last year on the John Salanitri-trained Derringer and on the Lee Freedman-trained Nautilism in 2001.

Scott said he feared that the handicapper could ruin Yamanaura's chances after he carried 69kg to a 1-length win over highly-rated 3-year-old Black And Bent.

"Coming here today I thought he probably deserved 67.5kg after carrying the minimum 66.5kg when second in the Australian Hurdle last start but now he's won with 69kg I don't know what is going to happen," Scott said on Wednesday.

Scott said Yamanaura, who had now won three of his hurdle starts in a 15-race career, was still very inexperienced but a horse with "a big future".

"He's always had a problem overracing but we put a Norton bit on him today and he was super. He is going in the right direction."

- AAP