New Zealand bred jumper Sea King scored a nail-biting victory over Spying On You in the $350,000 Grand National Steeplechase at Ballarat on Sunday.
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Sea King with champion jumps jockey Steven Pateman in the saddle got up in the last stride to win an eventful steeplechase.
Favourite Wells was attempting to win his fourth Grand National Steeplechase but lost his rider Richard Cully in the early stages of the 4500-metre race.
Pateman, who has won the race previously on Liquid Lunch and twice on Bashboy handed all the accolades for the victory to Sea King’s two trainers Patrick Payne and Kevin Myers.
“I’m just lucky to ride Sea King,” he said. “Full credit to Patrick for all the work he does with Sea King in Victoria and to Kevin back in New Zealand. They are both outstanding horsemen. Sea King is just so brave and gallant.”
Warrnambool trained I’ll’ava’alf ran fifth in the Grand National.
Meanwhile, first season jumper Evanesce notched up her second jumps win in four starts for Warrnambool trainer Simon Ryan winning a $50,000 open hurdle on the all jumps program at Ballarat.
Evanesce ran third at her last jumps start after winning a hurdle race at Warrnambool last month. Big Blue made a successful debut over the jumps for the Maher-Eustace stable with a dogged victory in a hurdle race over 3200 metres.
The seven-year-old was having his first start since an unplaced run in the Ballarat Cup for James Cummings. Warrnambool based jumps jockey Shane Jackson won a restricted steeplechase on Caroun.