This Prestige Great Northern Steeplechase (6400m) saw a former winner in Wise Men Say lead almost throughout to score. The track at Ellerslie was an awful bog with an Open Handicap mudder taking over 1:35 for the 1400m and a Benchmark 82 winner over the mile almost needing 1:50 to score. The winners and where they turned for home in race order were led (four-off the inside and a length ahead), fourth (three-off the inside and three lengths from the leader), led (six-off the inside and a length ahead), fifth (three-off the inside and a length and a half from the leader), led (seven-off the inside and four lengths ahead), co-leader (two-off the inside), fifth (two-off the inside and two and a half lengths from the leader), led (five-off the inside and three lengths ahead) and led (four-off the inside and a length ahead). Wise Men Say has been a backrunner that warms up a couple of laps into any jumps race but today after having had a poor season so far and showing no form or fight whatsoever had his racing pattern completely changed. The 10yo led up and in a very weak field never looked like being outstayed as this was not his first rodeo over the hill three times having won it in 2017. He never looked like being headed and won by over a length in 8:48.70, the fifth slowest time this century, and was winning his ninth race in thirty-four starts. To show how slow he is all of his wins have come as a jumper bar one and that was a maiden flat win over 2060m in 2015 at home. It was his seventh run this season and he had run one third (beaten over a dozen lengths by two rivals he had again today) so was terribly out of form but three times over the hill is a lung test almost all jumpers fail at but he does not if remaining upright. Kings Kite showed the sheer weakness of the field by running home strongly for second as the rank outsider at $95 (hilariously he was $73 rougher than the second outsider in this field). The 10yo last ran a placing in July of 2017 and has won the single race (in June of 2017) lifetime so his running on from seventh in a sustained manner says it all really. Crash Bandicoot was third over ten lengths from the winner after racing sixth early then getting handy the last two laps. He finished eighth in this race two years ago beaten over twenty-seven lengths when second favourite, so more evidence of how bad the line up today truly was. Lacustre the clear favourite raced handy enough but did not stay the trip outright and was a one-batting fourth beaten over eleven lengths. Mr Enthusiastic settled back then got handy on the hill for the last time and actually reached third before a plugging away fifth. Only three more runners finished and were beaten over thirty lengths and almost ninety-five lengths so some tired equine bodies walked home. Two runners were pulled up after the second last to fence exhausted and not worth risking to try and clear the last fence when out of contention by enormous distances. This was one of the weakest lines up ever and there have been some shockers so the once great steeplechase race is losing it lustre and relevance fast and has been ever since moved from the traditional Queen's Birthday weekend in June to a now September date in Spring. Tradition is a cornerstone of horse racing and a bulwark for tough times and Great Northern time is a Winter weekend and certainly not a first month in Spring affair. Breaking something that was not broken has proven to be a costly howler regards Great Northern Steeplechase weekend and only an admission of the sheer folly shift and a righting of the wrong can see a return to jumping glory. Racing enthusiasts despise tinkering with a race day and weekend or event that has stood the test of time and the Great Northern Steeplechase was first run when the very first automobile was introduced to the planet, the Benz Patent Motor Car in 1885.