A decision to enter exciting `chaser Tarawera for a flat race at Sandown has saved his Grand Annual Steeplechase campaign.Bemused with the lack of jumps trials that led to the abandonment of Wednesday's steeplechase at Sandown, co-trainers Fran Houlahan and Brian Johnston took the precaution of entering Tarawera for the Rokk Ebony Hcp (2400m).Only three horses including Tarawera were final acceptors for the steeplechase which was not enough to constitute a field in the eyes of Racing Victoria.Th

A decision to enter exciting `chaser Tarawera for a flat race at Sandown has saved his Grand Annual Steeplechase campaign.

Bemused with the lack of jumps trials that led to the abandonment of Wednesday's steeplechase at Sandown, co-trainers Fran Houlahan and Brian Johnston took the precaution of entering Tarawera for the Rokk Ebony Hcp (2400m).

Only three horses including Tarawera were final acceptors for the steeplechase which was not enough to constitute a field in the eyes of Racing Victoria.

The decision has moved Johnston to question RVL's commitment to jumps racing, especially with the Grand Annual only two weeks away.

"It is an absolute disgrace," Johnston said. "It hasn't helped us at all.

"We programmed our horse and planned our horse to run in the steeplechase at Sandown and then go to Warrnambool for the Brierly and the Grand Annual."

Johnston said there were insufficient trials to qualify steeplechase runners and that changes to the qualifying rules had adversely impacted on horse numbers.

He said steeplechase trials were being called off because more than three horses were needed in each trial.

The cancellation of last week's Cranbourne jumps trials because of the wet track has compounded the problem.

"We have missed out on a lot of steeplechase trials and now they are calling races off," Johnston said.

"I am not happy about it but we will be okay because we are running (Tarawera) on the flat."

Last start Tarawera scored by more than two lengths over 2400 metres at Sandown on March 23 after finishing fourth in the Colac Cup.

"He's going well and he will be a show again at Sandown," Johnston said.

"After that run we have got time to take him (Tarawera) to Warrnambool and school him providing they leave the schools on.

"If they pull them off that will muck us completely."

The winner of four of nine starts over jumps, Tarawera's first race for the year over obstacles will be in the Brierly Steeplechase (3450m) on May 3 before the Grand Annual Steeplechase (5500m) two days later.

On Tuesday, a day after Wednesday's $30,000 steeplechase was scrapped, the Melbourne Racing Club announced a $100,000 bonus for a new six-race jumps racing series for the 2011 season which starts at Warrnambool.

The bonus will be awarded to the winner of three of the six races which are the Brierly Steeplechase, the Galleywood Hurdle (May 4), the Australian Hurdle (June 4) and Australian Steeplechase (June 4), Grand National Hurdle (August 14) and Grand National Steeplechase (August 28).