By JARROD POTTER
NOT even losing his whip down the final straight could stop Steven Pateman capturing his fourth-consecutive Grand National Hurdle.
Pateman, 30, who lives in Berwick, stole the show aboard Patrick Payne trained Sea King, taking the $200,000 race win at Sandown’s Sportingbet Park on Sunday as he guided the seven-year-old gelding to the 3900-metre jumps win ahead of Stand To Gain and Wells.
All eyes were on Darren Weir’s champion gelding Gotta Take Care to see if it could capture the triple and win the whopping $300,000 bonus after already taking the Galleywood Hurdle and the Australian Hurdle.
Unfortunately for the son of Rubiton, Gotta Take Care didn’t relish the conditions which suited the New Zealand bred Sea King sired by Shinko King, which ran out four length winner in the lucrative race.
Pateman only found out this week he’d be racing for his fourth Grand National Hurdle in a row, but put the pressure out of his mind as he stormed home aboard Sea King.
“It’s unreal,” Pateman said.
“I wasn’t aware of the history until a couple of days ago but there was nothing I could do about it before the race, but I was rapt to get it done.
“The race panned out exactly like Patrick (Payne) said it would… he’s just too tough and too well seasoned over in New Zealand.”
Trainer Payne said the horse had only been in the country for less than a month and had already claimed a win earlier in its Australian campaign.
“He’s a great horse and only came over from New Zealand three weeks ago and has already won at Warrnambool,” Payne said.
“To come and win this race today (Sunday) he’s a bit of a strange horse – he’s a quirky horse and got a bit of a rubber neck and can be erratic and can take off early at times.
“But he’s got a very good engine and just keeps going.”
Payne hopes to qualify Sea King for the Grand National Steeplechase later this year.
Pateman could do no wrong on Sunday as he rode Bashboy to the Crisp Steeplechase race three victory to take a jumps double at Sportingbet Park.
