Perfect preparations are pretty hard to find in thoroughbred racing.
But Brian and Shane Anderton had everything right with High Forty at Riccarton on Saturday - right down to their trip back to North Taieri.
''We came home last night and Shane came home, too, and got home about half past nine. It was a good decision,'' Brian Anderton said yesterday morning.
But you get the feeling even a dumping of snow overnight on Saturday would not take the gloss off High Forty's dominant 12 length victory in the $75,000 Grand National Steeplechase, the fourth time the team at White Robe Lodge has claimed the great jumping race, following on from Bymai in 1984, Lord Venture in 1988 and Noble Express in 1994.
''It was pretty moving to both Shane and I,'' Anderton said.
''To have him standing there beside me meant a lot.''
Members of the Anderton family were also there, including Brian's wife, Lorraine, and their daughters, Lynne Lowry and Nicola Anderton, while his granddaughter, Georgia Lowry, led the horse back to the winner's stall.
''And it was great that [co owner] Terry Burke and his wife [Kate] made it over from Tamworth.''
So a perfect result after an ideal lead up, but do not just think it is down to good fortune. There was plenty of groundwork that went into this stellar winter for High Forty, including a minor gear change in the 9yr old's mouth.
''We put a tongue strap on him this year and that might have turned him around a bit, too,'' Anderton said.
''He was always lugging a bit and we never knew why. He had a laceration on the inside of his cheek and I think he might have been rolling his tongue back a bit. Anyhow, since we put that on him, it has made a big difference.''
High Forty had a steady diet of racing after resuming in March, lining up 11 times - four on the flat and seven over the obstacles.
''We had a lovely preparation, not racing him too close together,'' he said.
''It just worked out right. You can have your setbacks and so forth. He had a cough a couple of weeks ago but he shook that.''
Any thoughts of tackling the Great Northern Steeplechase next month appear to be on the back burner though.
''Shane and I had a quick yarn about it and we don't want to wring the rag,'' Anderton said.
''He could go on to the Northern, but there's still going to be plenty of jumping races around next year and we can look after him. There are only so many races a year in them.
''We brought him in with the Grand National as what we were aiming at and he delivered.''
Anderton was more than happy with jockey Michael Mitchell who did not chase the leaders when they started to sprint with half a round of Riccarton to go.
''He's got this tendency to sprint at the end of his races, if he's ridden patiently.
''They sprinted there and when he came in to it, everyone had done their sprint and he still had his sprint up his sleeve.''
Anderton did not have steeplechasing in mind when he first started gearing up High Forty for a racing career.
''I thought he was going to make a decent sort of horse on the flat. He's not a cheater but he just didn't have the same interest. But as soon as we started jumping him, he looks on at the next fence and gets really motivated.
''He's a lovely jumper and he's matured with age.''
