Tobouggie Knights has beaten his stablemate Cape Kinaveral to give New Zealand trainer John Wheeler his ninth Great Eastern Steeplechase at Oakbank.
The two horses filled the same positions in Saturday’s Von Doussa Steeple and appeared to have taken no harm from backing up two days later.
Richard Eynon rode Tobouggie Nights who started the $3 favourite in the Great Eastern (4950m) at the picturesque course near Adelaide.
The third of Wheeler’s trio, Thomond Park, fell during the race while Art Success and Gravitas were pulled out of the race by their jockeys.
The annual Easter meeting was run as the controversy over jumps racing continued with protesters on course after a horse was euthanased after breaking a shoulder at Oakbank on Saturday.
Oakbank Racing Club Chairman John Glatz said Saturday’s death of Virvacity was an unfortunate accident.
“We do everything to make sure we have the safest possible race,” Glatz told AAP.
He said that included growing softer jumping hedges to make racing easier on the horses.
“They allow for any error to be corrected,” he said.
RSPCA spokeswoman Jennifer Salter said an inspector was at the scene on Saturday and did not observe any breaches of law.
However the organisation was still against the sport.
Jumps racing in Australia is only conducted in South Australia and Victoria.
The sport has come under fire in Victoria which has introduced new obstacles and a Jumps Review Panel to oversee any incidents.
