Tasmanian trainer Michael Trinder further enhanced his impressive record with jumpers when Morsonique put on a great front running display to win the Grand National Steeplechase at Sandown.The 10-year-old's task was made easier when the $2.10 favourite Tarawera fell at the third of the five fences in the back straight the second time around.His rider Trent Wells was taken to hospital for stitches to lacerations to his forehead.Tarawera got up and galloped on after the fall but crashed through th
Tasmanian trainer Michael Trinder further enhanced his impressive record with jumpers when Morsonique put on a great front running display to win the Grand National Steeplechase at Sandown.
The 10-year-old's task was made easier when the $2.10 favourite Tarawera fell at the third of the five fences in the back straight the second time around.
His rider Trent Wells was taken to hospital for stitches to lacerations to his forehead.
Tarawera got up and galloped on after the fall but crashed through the wing of another steeplechase fence and again fell and lay on the track.
Fears the horse was seriously hurt were allayed when he rose to his feet shortly after having been winded.
Morsonique ploughed through the extremely heavy conditions to take out the 4530m feature to give Trinder his second victory in the race after he won with Outstride in 1994.
"I liken him to Outstride. He sees every fence and jumps them economically and he's a very, very safe conveyance," said Trinder who never watches his horses when they race over the jumps.
"I walked up and down the grandstand not looking, but listening to the call with great interest.
"I knew we had the horse on song for today's race. I thought today it was his chance to win a good race.
"I spoke him up earlier in the year that he was a Cheltenham Gold Cup horse. I still genuinely believe he is.
"He's a lovely wet-tracker. At 10 years old probably too old for a jumper but not in England where I think his market lies. He's a very, very exciting horse.
Ridden by Trinder's son Adam, Morsonique ($8.50) raced away in the concluding stages to score by 15 lengths from last year's Grand National Hurdle runner-up Juan Carlos ($2.80).
Allison Bennett, who prepared Juan Carlos, has a similar aversion to Trinder in that she cannot watch her jumpers race.
Mali Juraj ($18) 2-3/4 lengths back third.
Trinder has won four Hiskens Steeplechases at Moonee Valley and his son Adam has now won the big three feature jumps races in Melbourne.
Adam Trinder won the Hiskens on Misty Weather in 2003 and last year's Grand National Hurdle aboard Desert Master.
Jumps racing was abolished in Tasmania three years ago and Trinder has just two jumpers left in his Spreyton stables, Morsonique and Nuvolari who ran fifth in the race.
Trinder, whose father Ray owned the 1972 Melbourne Cup winner, the George Hanlon-trained Piping Lane, said Adam would return to Tasmania at the end of the month to help him with a training venture.
The Trinder family also won the 1976 Great Eastern Steeplechase with Aberfoyle.