Despite having only had two further steeplechase starts since last year’s win — fourth placings in last year’s Great Northern and last weekend’s Koral — Upper Cut was primed in typical Oulaghan fashion for Saturday’s 5600m test.
The feat had winning rider Shaun Phelan in awe of the master jumps trainer.
"He’s a genius," Phelan said of Oulaghan.
"I sat there and enjoyed the ride. The horse did it all. These are the races you live and dream for."
Oulaghan was equally humble and deflected the praise.
"I’ve got to say we’ve been lucky and, as you know, luck goes a long way in racing," he said.
"He’s been a little behind all winter and the run on the first day did improve him."
Oulaghan extended his record of wins in the prestigious race. He also won with Counter Punch in 2010 and 2011, and Deecee Seven in 1997 and 1998.
Former White Robe Lodge stallion Yamanin Vital sired both Upper Cut and Counter Punch.
"I put a lot of it [Upper Cut’s success] down to his sire, Yamanin Vital. One of his progeny [Ready Eddie] won the National Hurdle on Wednesday and they can stay," Oulaghan said.
Phelan sat Upper Cut sat off the pace for much of the race before he angled the horse for a final effort along the Riccarton rail. They soon had the measure of the favourite, The Big Opal, but could not reel in Southland contender Kina Win, who had hit the lead halfway down the straight, as easily.
After the pair jumped the last fence together, Upper Cut fought tenaciously to take the race by a length and a-quarter from Kina Win.
Tai Ho was more than nine lengths away in third.
Though jockey Stuart Higgins was denied the big race win aboard Kina Win, he looks to have a serious feature race contender on his hands with hurdler Jackfrost.
The Brian and Shane Anderton-trained gelding backed up his nine-length win on Wednesday in his first start over hurdles with an eight-length victory on Saturday.
Miss Mia on Saturday made it two wins from two hurdles starts. Miss Mia, trained by Neill Ridley, won her first hurdles race at Timaru last month, then reverted to a 1600m flat race on the first day of the carnival. The successful jockey on Saturday was Stephan Karnicnik.
— Jonny Turner, additional reporting NZ Racing Desk.
