Tolemac has emerged as a jumper for the future – especially on rain-affected ground – with an emphatic 12-length Australian Steeplechase (3900m) triumph at Sandown on Sunday.
Eventual runner-up Riding High, who won the 2021 edition, led up the seven-horse field but could not match motors with Symon Wilde-trained Tolemac who took over at the penultimate steeple.
Seven-year-old gelding Tolemac ploughed through a Heavy 10 surface to win the BM120 Decron Dunroe Steeplechase at Warrnambool last start by 14 lengths.
“This horse is really good on soft ground, he showed a good turn of foot at Warrnambool and that was a really good display,” Wilde said.
“I thought Will (Gordon) put him in the race at the right time, it was really good … a slow tempo, no weight, the track softer than I thought, it all worked out really well for him.”
“Flash Gordon has it won!”
Tolemac & Will Gordon make a mess of them in the Australian Steeplechase ????@wilde_racingpic.twitter.com/k1LkCBB2t7
— Racing.com (@Racing) May 21, 2023
The Australian Steeplechase has been kind to Wilde previously, with Britannicus (2022) and Gold Medals (2017) on the honour roll.
Wilde will aim to plot a path for Toelmac towards the Grand National Steeplechase (4500m) on August 27 at Ballarat, however, wet ground is the key to any future plans.
“We’re going to try, he’s a nice horse, if there’s any sign he needs more time we’ll give it to him but while his form is good, he’s going well and the tracks are wet we’ll keep going.
“You wouldn’t be put off heading towards a National, I thought that (Australian Steeple) would be a test for him, but slow tempo, he was good.”
Unplaced Britannicus, who won the Brierly Steeplechase at Warrnambool last start, only laboured in the conditions on Sunday.
“He’s hard to place (needs dry track), we might even just look at the Brierly again next year, he’s tailor made for that race,” Wilde said.
“I don’t know what we’ll do with him now, if it does get wet he’ll probably have to go to the paddock.”
Wilde stopped short of completely ruling out international options for Britannicus, albeit an expensive exercise.
The Nakayama Daishogai (4100m) in December would assure Britannicus his preferred firm and fast ground, while the undulating circuit is not unlike the gelding’s home deck at Warrnambool.
“We’re probably going to have to explore a few of those options,” Wilde said.
“If it’s not dry here we really haven’t got (options) and the season is so short.
“He really needs to build a bank, I think they used to fund the trip, he’d have to build the bank to do that, needed to win here, really.
“He ticks the boxes, like firmer the ground the better, he’s a very fast jumper, those jumps (in Japan), I’ve watched that race a few times and I think a low fast jumping horse is what you need.
“He’s probably the right type … but we’d have to look at it, I guess, here he’s up in the weights and there’s only a couple races for him.”