STEVEN Pateman had one of his most rewarding days at the track, winning both feature races at Pakenham on Sunday, as well as training the winner of the $125,000 Mosstrooper Steeplechase, the Irish-bred Valac.

“That’s my first win as a trainer and rider (of the same horse),” said an emotional Pateman. “It is pretty special. We (with wife Jan) have done a lot of work with the horse, by God he’s got an engine.”

Racing handy throughout the 3,500 metres, Valac nearly brought his effort undone, veering in sharply on approach to the final two fences and squeezing up the second placed Te Kahu with Willie McCarthy up.

Surviving the protest of second against first, Valac, who started his career with Dermot Weld, was declared a three-length winner, with the Under The Bridge third.

The Dark Angel 10-year-old is from a most distinguished family as a son of Polished Gem, he is a half-brother to Free Eagle, Search For A Song, Kyprios and Sapphire. He is almost totally white and has now won two of his five jumps starts, this being his first start for the Patemans since transferring from the stable of Ben and JD Hayes.

The Maiden Steeplechase, also over 3,500 metres, saw Richard O’Donoghue continue his good form in the saddle, guiding Mustang Harry home for trainer Kaye Edwards at $11 and downing the $1.95 favourite Brungle Bertie by three-quarters of a length.

Saunter Boy continues run

The French-bred Saunter Boy claimed another big-race scalp taking out the Brendan Drechsler Hurdle over 3,500 metres at Pakenham.

Sent out at the postage stamp price of $1.18, Saunter Boy has now won his last five hurdle starts, all features, since failing to finish in last year’s Grand National Steeple.

“A comfortable win, another confidence boosting win,” said Pateman. “And it’s nice for him to not have a gut buster coming into the Grand National, so he’s obviously going to be nice and fit but not overly taxed. One more step.”

The first leg of riding double for Steven Pateman, and the second of trainers Ciaron Maher and David Eustace’s double, Saunter Boy will now seek redemption in the Grand National Hurdle at Sandown on August 7th.

INCOMING Racing Victoria Chief Executive, Andrew Jones, has his feet under the desk, replacing Giles Thompson who announced his June resignation in January. Jones comes to the racing industry with a background in sports administration at Cricket Australia and Netball New South Wales, as well as having served as an interim chief executive of racing.com for a five-month period in 2021.

“My job, and my profession is growing sports. I’m here to grow the revenue of the sport and make sure we distribute it fairly to all the participant groups and maintain racing’s licence to operate from a government and social point of view,” said Jones who highlighted the need for “... the deliberate evolution of the sport,” indicating the growth of more night racing as an example.

Core principle

“The core principle is you have to work around the fan and the punter because that’s how we all get paid.”

Top of the agenda is also a meeting which has been scheduled with his New South Wales counterpart Peter V’landys.

“I think what will happen is we will cooperate on some things and probably compete on others. Where collaboration finishes and competition begins we’ll see,” added Jones.

CHRIS Waller trained his 150th winner in Sydney for the season after saddling up a quartet of victors at Rosehill on Saturday.

To date his 152 Sydney metropolitan winners for the season have accrued just over A$25 million in stakes, which is just over half of the $48.7 million his 344 winners Australia-wide have earned in 2021-2022. This will be the eighth season Waller has trained 150 winners in Sydney as he is closing in on his 12th consecutive Trainers’ Premiership title.

He is 94 wins ahead of his nearest rival James Cummings who has prepared 334 starters in Sydney for the season compared to Waller’s 1,081.