High Forty had just run third in the Great Western Steeplechase, but was a mammoth 136 lengths behind winner Cecil after carrying 74kg through awful weather and a bottomless track.
But fast forward 2 months, and the defending champion is a live hope again in tomorrow’s $75,000 feature after a promising finish for fourth in last Saturday’s Koral Steeplechase.
Mitchell has only been aboard High Forty in those two steeplechases this season, as White Robe Lodge stable riders have taken the reins in the 10yr-old’s hurdle starts, and he said the two runs were chalk and cheese.
"It was completely contrasting, really," he said.
"At the start of the season, lugging 74kg around Riverton in a heavy11, it was quite demanding first up. It was a big effort just to get round on that track. I thought he might have dropped a few rating points after that run, being 130 lengths from the winner."
No such luck.
High Forty just dropped one rating point for his distant third, and trainers Brian and Shane Anderton instead opted for four hurdle starts prior to the Koral.
"From where he’s come from, and his build-up for it from going over the hurdling, it hasn’t really disrupted him, really. His jumping was good and it’s probably given him a nice clear-out going through the Koral."
The Big Opal might have been a commanding 9 length winner in the Koral, but Mitchell was quietly happy with High Forty’s late zip for fourth. However, he believes this year’s National is tougher simply because of the depth of the field.
"He raced in the same kind of pattern and hit the line well [in the Koral], but they were a little bit more forward this year and that just proved it’s a bit of a stronger field coming into the National on Saturday."
Mitchell feels the son of Danzighill would have relished the "good look at the fences" last week, and rates him at about the same level as the High Forty who won last year’s South Island jumping feature.
"This year, it hasn’t taken as much out of him going through the hurdles," he said.
"Depending on how he comes through Saturday, it could be an option to push on to the Northern. The way he’s feeling, the hurdle racing hasn’t been as tough on him as what the steeplechasing was last year."
Mitchell, who is coming south from Cambridge for just the one ride, will be happy to see the sun keep shining on the track rated slow9 yesterday.
"I hope the track keeps improving until Saturday because it’s only going to help him carry the weight [70.5kg] around. It wouldn’t mind him at all having a better track."
