Million-dollar jumper returning home for career swansong
Quality jumper Leaderboard (Street Cry) is set to return to New Zealand where he will have his career swansong in the Signature Homes Waikato Steeplechase (3900m) at Te Rapa on June 13.
The rising 12-year-old has been a standout over fences in Australia over the last couple of seasons for trainer Mark Walker, winning last year’s A$400,000 Grand National Steeplechase (4500m), having finished runner-up in the 2024 edition, and also placed in two editions of the Australian Steeplechase (3900m) and Thackeray Steeplechase (3450m).
The Fortuna Syndicate-raced gelding ran fifth in the Brierly and Grand Annual at Warrnambool earlier this month, and the decision has been made to retire him following one final race on home soil.
“He won the Grand National Steeples over there last year, which is their richest jumping race,” Fortuna’s John Galvin said. “This year he was just a bit off the pace with his runs over there, but he ran creditably, but not to the same level of last year.
“We are going to retire him, and we have got a home for him here, but we thought it would be nice to give him a swansong run at Te Rapa in the Waikato Steeples, it is the perfect race for him.”
Leaderboard will be met for the first time by New Zealand Champion Jumper West Coast (NZ) (Mettre En Jeu), who returned to his brilliant best at Te Rapa on Sunday when storming home to capture the Waikato Hunt Cup (3900m).
“We decided West Coast needed a bit of opposition,” Galvin quipped.
“He (West Coast) is an out-and-out champion. I know he had a bit of an off-season last year, but they can all do that. He has obviously come back better than ever.”
Galvin’s decision to give Leaderboard one final run in New Zealand was cemented following discussions with New Zealand Thoroughbred Racing senior handicapper Bruce Sherwin.
“I queried the handicapper about what weight Leaderboard would get, and he said he would get 68kg and West Coast will carry 72kg,” Galvin said.
Following the Waikato Steeplechase Galvin said Leaderboard will enjoy an active retirement in the care of well-known equestrian Jody Hartstone.
“Jody is one of New Zealand’s best-known equestrians, she has been around for a long time and had a Horse of the Year,” Galvin said. “She is taking Leaderboard and she will hunt with him and also do dressage.”
The American-bred Leaderboard commenced his racing career in Ireland, where he had nine starts for one win, before he was purchased by Fortuna out of the 2018 Tattersalls Horses-in-Training Sale for 70,000 guineas.
He went on to win six races in New Zealand for Te Akau Racing trainers Jamie Richards and Mark Walker, including the Gr.3 Wellington Cup (3200m) and Listed New Zealand St Leger (2600m), and placed in the Gr.3 New Zealand Cup (3200m) and Listed Hawke’s Bay Cup (2200m).
All told, Leaderboard has won 12 and placed in 20 of his 72 career starts and has earned more than $1 million in prizemoney.
