Sea King shows its class to win Mosstrooper Steeplechase
KIWI champion Sea King showed its true class when it won the $100,000 Ecycle Solutions Mosstrooper Steeplechase at Bendigo on Sunday.
Trained by Patrick Payne in Australia and Kevin Myers in New Zealand, the now 17-time winner was heavily backed into $1.70 after showing as much as $2.80 at Sportsbet.com.au throughout the week.
The rising 10-year-old sat in the perfect position throughout the 3600m race, but despised outsider Gold A Plenty ($34) kicked around the turn and gave jockey Tom Ryan a big kick. That’s when the motor of Sea King kicked in as Steve Pateman swung it to the inside before it kicked away late.
“He was just laying all over them,” Pateman said. “He’s just such a good horse.
“Makes you appreciate how good Bashboy was.”
Sea King entered the race having won at Warrnambool last start as a $4.60 chance. Pateman wasn’t surprised that it won the Thackerat Chase despite punters not wanting to back it. The finish on this occasion was closer than some punters would have liked.
“It was a surprise the other day when he won to some people, but it wasn’t a surprise to me,” Pateman said. “I was going better than him (Gold A Plenty) but laying all over him, finding it hard to ride him out.”
Pateman credited the Bendigo Racing Club for putting on the meeting and hopes Sea King continues its winning ways with the Grand National approaching.
“They created what would have been a bleak Sunday meeting into something good,” Pateman said.
“I’m looking forward to its next couple of runs. I hope he goes that way (Grand National).”