Wheeler Praises Scott's Horsemanship
- Wednesday, 05 August 2009 00:00
Trainer John Wheeler praised Brett Scott's "great horsemanship" in plotting a path between a fallen jockey and a wayward horse in steering High Season to victory in a dramatic Grand National Hurdles at Riccarton on Wednesday.
It was the 120th running of the race and one of its most eventful, with Rioch and English jockey George Strickland clearing off to a huge lead.
At times the gap to the rest of the field was at least 30 lengths as Rioch gave a bold display and approaching the third last fence he looked to have the race shot to bits.
But disaster struck as he hit the top of the fence and he and Strickland tumbled to the turf.
Worse was to come when the horse got up and then started walking away from the rail across the path of the oncoming field.
High Season and Scott avoided the peril but Tommy Hazlett and Solid Steal had no chance, crashing into the wayward Rioch immediately after jumping the fence.
The drama wasn't over with Arreviderci and Vinopolis also falling in the latter stages but High Season and Scott were away and gone, winning by 6-1/2 lengths from Mr Charlton with a further three-quarters of a length to Wolf Pack.
Scott said he saw the mishap unfold in front of him and had enough time to thread a path between Strickland and Rioch.
"It worked out to be a good move," he said.
Scott, foreman for Wheeler's Melbourne stable, is acknowledged as one of Australasia's great jumps jockeys and the NZ Grand National Hurdles was the one big race trophy one missing from his cabinet before Wednesday.
"Scotty's a champion, he's as good as you can get," Wheeler said.
"He was quite circumspect approaching the fence. If you watch the replay, he was waiting and watching which way the fallen horse went and he chose the correct way. It was great horsemanship."
Wheeler acknowledged there was a lot of luck involved in the win.
"It was an amazing race and it was unlucky for some of the others, but that's the way it goes sometimes," he said.
