A thrilling victory on Afterallthistime (Deep Field) in Saturday’s Signature Homes Waikato Steeplechase (3900m) capped a Te Rapa double for Portia Matthews that was unforgettable in more ways than one.
Matthews won both of the steeplechase races on the card, having previously taken out the Ken & Roger Browne Memorial (3900m) in extraordinary fashion aboard Uncle Charlie (NZ) (Alamosa). Six of the seven horses in that field were out of contention by the end of a chaotic first lap, leaving Uncle Charlie the only one still standing.
Uncle Charlie mixed his jumps from that point on, and Matthews lost her irons, but the Hamilton crowd willed them on, and they completed the journey for a win that had to be seen to be believed. The final margin was 89 and three-quarters lengths, with Dean Parker re-mounting Catch And Release (NZ) (Turn Me Loose) to finish the race in a distant second place.
The Waikato Steeplechase was a very different story. Matthews and Afterallthistime settled in second-last for a large part of the 3900m journey, biding their time as Jakama Krystal (NZ) (Jakkalberry), Nedwin (NZ) (Niagara) and The Cossack (NZ) (Mastercraftsman) showed the way out in front.
Afterallthistime began to warm into his work ominously coming down the side of the track towards the home turn, striding past more than half of the field and setting his sights on the leaders.
Nedwin lost all momentum with a poor jump at the third-to-last fence, and two-time defending champion The Cossack parted company with Mathew Gillies at the last. Through all of that, the $14 outsider Afterallthistime kept advancing.
He took a clear lead coming into the straight, but his job wasn’t over yet. He saved his worst jump for last and then faced a late challenge from strong-finishing stablemate Call Me Jack (NZ) (Jakkalberry) in a Kevin Myers quinella. But Matthews got Afterallthistime to lift again, clinging on to win by a long head. Nedwin finished another 22 and a quarter lengths away in third.
“It’s definitely a day I won’t forget,” Matthews said. “I’d like to thank Kevin Myers for putting me on this horse today. I’ve had a bit of an association with him in the past and I’ve won on him before. I really like him. He’s a lovely, big horse.
“He got through the ground so well today. It’s quite a nice feeling looming up so easily behind horses like Nedwin and The Cossack. That’s not something I’ve experienced before – passing them and thinking, ‘Oh, I’ve still got a bit left here.’
“He got in front and was a bit balky at the last jump, but we got over it and got him going again. We lost a bit of momentum with that jump, and I knew the stablemate was coming, but he kept trying. It was a big effort and it’s a credit to the horse.
“Credit to the Myers team too – they had him so fit today.”
Afterallthistime has now had 24 starts for four wins, seven placings and $118,965 in stakes.
He has had a win and a placing from two starts over hurdles, while his 13-race steeplechase career has produced three wins and three placings.