Versatile jumper The Mighty Spar continued his affinity with the live hedges at Casterton on Sunday, schooling his rivals in a theatrical running of the Two Rivers Steeplechase (3800m).
A well-bred son of champion sire Savabeel, The Mighty Spar won six races on home soil, including two editions of the South Waikato Cup (2000m), before shifting across the Tasman to continue his career over the fences.
With two steeplechase victories under his belt, including one around the unique Casterton circuit last season, The Mighty Spar closed favourite in Sunday’s contest over his Te Akau-trained stablemate Prismatic. In the hands of top hoop Steven Pateman, The Mighty Spar settled in third position and negotiated his fences beautifully, albeit while avoiding a riderless Flying Pierro and a stray kangaroo on the journey.
The gelding was travelling like the winner a long way from home and outjumped Carnamah over the second-last, continuing to extend the margin as he coasted to the line by seven lengths. Prismatic made up ground solidly late, filling the quinella for trainer Mark Walker.
Pateman was returning from an injury sustained in a fall during the Warrnambool Carnival and was grateful to Te Akau assistant trainer Ben Gleeson for securing him the ride aboard The Mighty Spar.
“That was fantastic, so much fun. He’s a really cool little horse,” Pateman told Racing.com.
“In the first time out the back, there was a big kangaroo and I couldn’t stop staring at it. Then Custom Of The Sea and Tommy Ryan’s horse (Aquileon) sort of jumped underneath me. I was like, ‘snap out of it – it’s just a kangaroo’, I was on a Kiwi and I’ve seen plenty of roos, but he hasn’t.
“He’s obviously won around here, so he knew where he was going. It was super fun.”
Walker was complimentary of Pateman’s ride, while noting the gelding’s style over a fence makes him particularly effective.
“It’s quite a unique course, you don’t often see a Kangaroo, mid-race, getting out of the way and jumping the outside fence, but it was a terrific display of jumping and a lovely ride by Steve Pateman,” Walker said.
“It was good to see The Mighty Spar bounce back to winning form and he’s now two from two on the course, where the live fences certainly agree with him.
“He’s a horse that once he gets the right conditions, he was able to kick on in front and he’s such a clever jumper which is what won him the race.”
The victory was The Mighty Spar’s ninth in 48 starts, with a further 18 placings to his credit. Now a seven-year-old, the gelding was a $430,000 purchase at the National Yearling Sales from the draft of breeders Waikato Stud and has earned over $280,000 on the track.
Fellow Kiwi-bred mare Enchanted Elle was also in the winner’s circle at Casterton, putting on a professional display in the Casterton Maiden Hurdle (3500m) to collect her first win on Australian soil for new trainer Symon Wilde.