Steven Pateman will be after his seventh straight win over the jumps when he rides Plumtastic in Saturday’s Australian Steeplechase at Sandown.
The leading jumping jockey’s sequence of wins started when he guided the Ciaron Maher-trained veteran Al Garhood to victory in the Grand Annual Steeple (5500m) at Warrnambool on May 5.
He has since won on Kerdem (twice), Our Aristocrat (twice) and Capecover.
Pateman has ridden Plumtastic three times for his only win in 30 career starts, by 20 lengths in a maiden steeplechase at Moe in July last year, and placings in a maiden hurdle and a steeplechase, both at Warrnambool.
Trainer Robbie Laing feels that stablemate and equal topweight Vindicating has the edge on Plumtastic despite the latter having a 4.5kg weight advantage being on the minimum of 64.5kg.
Plumtastic ran a terrific fourth to Vindicating in the Brierly Steeple at Warrnambool, going down by only 1-3/4 lengths after sneaking up on the inside and actually hitting the front in the straight.
The six-year-old gelding looked to have the Grand Annual in his keeping after racing straight past race leader Al Garhood but he put in a faulty leap at the second last of the 33 fences, dislodging his rider Paul Hamblin.
“I think Vindicating has had the wood on Plumtastic to date and in all probability would have won the Grand Annual had the saddle not slipped on him in running (dislodging rider Gavin Bedggood),” Laing said.
“But at the weights tomorrow there is not much between them.
“Vindicating has got 69kg after a midweek win at Sandown, and what would be regarded as Group Two wins in the Von Doussa at Oakbank and the Brierly at Warrnambool.
“The Grand Annual, Great Eastern and Grand National are your Group Ones and he has to give weight to Morsonique who won the (2010) Grand National at his last jumping start and Petushki who was narrowly beaten by Vindicating in the Von Doussa before winning the Great Eastern.
“Vindicating has been well placed this season but if wins tomorrow where does he go to?”
Pateman’s other ride at the meeting is Our Aristocrat ($2.60 fav) in the Australian Hurdle (3400m).
Prepared by Eric Musgrove, Our Aristocrat is unbeaten in two 3100m hurdle starts at Morphettville last month and has the limit weight (64.5kg).
The Musgrove-trained Zealous, a last-start winner of the Great Southern Steeple at Mornington, is $4.40 favourite with TAB Sportsbet for the Steeple ahead of Grizz at $4.60, Petushki ($5), Vindicating ($6.50), Morsonique ($7) with Plumtastic at $8.50 and Banna Strand at $10.
Equal topweight Virvacity, runner-up to Tarawera in the race last year, is the outsider of the field at $11.
The Darren Weir-trained Virvacity won the $100,000 Thackeray Steeplechase, narrowly beating Tarawera, at Warrnambool in July last year but has paid for that by having to carry 69kg on Saturday.
AAP TURF
