Trainer Robbie Laing will make his first trip to Oakbank for the famous Easter meeting with Vindicating who won Victoria's season-opening steeplechase at Sandown.Having his first start over the bigger obstacles on Wednesday, Vindicating (2.35 fav) was patiently ridden by top cross-country jockey Steven Pateman, coming from last of the four runners in the Members' Race Day 14/5 Steeplechase (3300m).He went on to score a comfortable 1-1/4 length win over Stop The Traffic ($3.30) with topweight Las
Trainer Robbie Laing will make his first trip to Oakbank for the famous Easter meeting with Vindicating who won Victoria's season-opening steeplechase at Sandown.
Having his first start over the bigger obstacles on Wednesday, Vindicating (2.35 fav) was patiently ridden by top cross-country jockey Steven Pateman, coming from last of the four runners in the Members' Race Day 14/5 Steeplechase (3300m).
He went on to score a comfortable 1-1/4 length win over Stop The Traffic ($3.30) with topweight Last Shogun ($3.80) five lengths away third.
Laing said the Zabeel seven-year-old would tackle the $100,000 Von Doussa Steeplechase (3300m) on the first day of the famous Oakbank two-day meeting on April 23.
The Cranbourne trainer said Vindicating would then go to Warrnambool for the $100,000 Brierly Steeple (3450m) on May 3 and "maybe" the $150,000 Grand Annual Steeple (5500m) there two days later.
"This horse and (stablemate) Plumtastic (who was scratched from Wednesday's Steeple) were found wanting on the heavy ground later in the (last) season," Laing, who usually aims his horses for the big features in Melbourne deep into the winter, said.
"So we thought we'd bring them in just before Christmas and go to Oakbank and Warrnambool and maybe with three weeks out they may be back for another crack at the end of the season."
Formerly prepared by Bede Murray, Vindicating has been a good money-spinner for his new connections since joining the Laing stable just over two years ago.
Laing said he paid for himself after three weeks in the stable by winning on the flat at Moonee Valley and running second at Sandown, both over 3000m.
"He will not go on the flat now, he just won't go at all," he said.
A winner of two hurdle races at Warrnambool and Sandown last winter, Vindicating has already won $91,905 in prizemoney over the jumps.
Pateman made it a winning double for the day aboard the Clinton McDonald-trained Grizz ($7) in the MRC Members' Horse Club Hurdle (3300m).
Grizz was formerly prepared in Sydney by Chris Waller who retains a share in the Chief Bearhart eight-year-old.
McDonald said last year's Galleywood Hurdle runner-up to Black And Bent at Warrnambool went back to Waller for the early stages of his current campaign.
"Chris sent him down in terrific order. He had him up there for a few runs before he sent him down," McDonald said.
"There's plenty of improvement but we had him up and going early. He's not a horse who handles a wet track so we hope to keep him on dry surfaces early in the season and hopefully keep him on his winning way."
McDonald said Grizz would go to Oakbank for the $100,000 Yalumba Classic Hurdle (3600m) on April 25 before going back to Warrnambool to have another crack at the $100,000 Galleywood Hurdle (3200m) on May 4.