Racing: Bally Heights surges to victory in historic race

Bally Heights clears the jump for jockey Aaron Kuru, closely followed by Shane Phelan on the back of Eric the Viking, during the running of the Jolt Coffee House Wanganui Steeplechase 4100m yesterday afternoon. Photo/Stuart Munro

A powerful surge for home by Hastings gelding Bally Heights made the first running of the Wanganui Steeplechase in nearly two decades a grand spectacle during industry day at the racecourse yesterday.

With the weather gods on their side as the seven-horse field completed the $20,000 race in a light drizzle, which was shortly followed by a downpour, Bally Heights had a back-and-forth battle with the Wairarapa's Eric the Viking in the closing stages of the 4100m race.

Bally Heights' rising star jockey Aaron Kuru got the 11-year-old to kick clear after the final jump to take the resurrected race by a length for his Hawkes Bay trainer Paul Nelson.

Nelson was pleased to have claimed the Jolt Coffee House incarnation of the historic race, which was first run back in 1875.

"We've had a bit of luck in it before, won it a few times. It might be two or three.

"If [Bally Heights] can get back, he can run. He started running a bit earlier than we expected, so it was good."

Starting out at a canter, local hope Palemo, trained by Kevin Myers, led the early stages past the finishing post for the first time, closely followed by Sportavian and Eric the Viking.

Another Nelson-trained horse in Yorkie came up to challenge Palemo, swapping the lead on the second time to the post, before Eric the Viking came up to challenge at the same time Bally Heights made a move on the outside.

The two frontrunners were in a close heat with two jumps left, but Bally Heights finished stronger, with Wanganui-trained Mr Mor getting up to third for trainers Evan and JJ Rayner, while Yorkie settled for fourth.

Winning time was five minutes, 11.02 seconds.

Wanganui Jockey Club operations manager Bret Field said the racecourse was likely to host another jumps day on August 17.

When asked if he would prefer to race in May or August in Wanganui, Nelson said he was pleased with both, although May was good as it allowed them to prepare for Manawatu steeplechase events.

Being able to host two jumps race days in a calendar year is a complete turnaround for the jockey club after a dearth of such events since at least 1998, although other records suggest the steeplechase has not been run since 1996.

"We've had two reliable sources and even they differed," said Field.

"Let's just say it hasn't been raced since the late 1990s."