Even before Wheeler knew whether he'd won the tendon battle - he didn't - the genius Taranaki horseman was focusing not on the upcoming Grand National, but 365 days further ahead.
That's called planning.
The class of Wheeler saw him win Saturday's $70,000 Grand National anyway with El Patron, who fought an equally thrilling battle with Karlos before getting the narrow victory in the final 100m of 5600m.
As you might expect there is a similar planning story behind El Patron - this one involving three years.
El Patron broke down badly three years ago and everyone tipped the horse to be finished, everyone, that is, except his trainer. Owner Jim Martin of Platinum Homes didn't really have an opinion, but went along with Wheeler for the ride.
"I'm very grateful to Jim because most owners would have given up at that point, but Jim stayed in."
Wheeler brought El Patron into work more than a year later, wasn't happy with the leg and planned a further year ahead, with now stunning results.
"His leg is 100 per cent after yesterday's race, which I'm thrilled about," said Wheeler yesterday.
The planning now is around Ellerslie's Great Northern Steeplechase next month.
John Wheeler's entire operation around his jumping team entails total planning.
At Christmas, when most of us are thinking about pending holidays, trimming off that Christmas dinner and group one winners at the carnivals, Wheeler sets about putting in the ground work that pays dividends up to eight months later.
"I give all my jumpers an endurance three months, trotting, cantering and walking through the massive hills of Taranaki. You could almost say they were mountains." Each horse does stints of 20km to 25km.
"They get to peak fitness without ever having had a gallop in that preparation. I rarely gallop any of my jumpers, it's all endurance work.
"That's why they can start off at Oakbank [South Australia at Easter] and still be going strong at this time of year."
Colin Hayes has been gone a fair while, but you just know he would have been proud of John Wheeler.
