The John Wheeler-trained Real Tonic has the chance to open up a decisive lead in the J.J. Houlahan Jumps Championship with a strong showing in tomorrow's $140,000 Dominant Grand Annual Steeplechase (5500m) at Warrnambool.

The nine-year-old gelding leads the Championship after scoring an impressive win in testing weather conditions in the Carlton Draught Great Eastern Steeplechase (4950m) at Oakbank in South Australia, which followed his fifth placing in the Von Doussa Steeplechase (3250m) at the same venue.

However, Bill Wilde's Mascagni and Eric Musgrove's Super Cobra have the opportunity to steal the Championship lead from Real Tonic in tomorrow's race.

The Championship's leading jockey, Adam Trinder, will ride yesterday's Brierly Steeplechase (3450m) winner High Czar - with both horse and trainer Kelvin Bourke looking to score their first points in the series.

Top trainer Eric Musgrove has two chances to extend his lead with Super Cobra and Chakra, while John Wheeler has the opportunity to jump ahead of him if his favourite Real Tonic snares a victory.

The J.J. Houlahan Jumps Championship recognises the champion jumps horse, jockey and trainer who each accumulate the most points from Australia's thirteen feature jumps races during 2006.

The races are run between April and July at Flemington, Moonee Valley, Sandown, Warrnambool and Oakbank in South Australia all carry minimum prize money of $100,000.

Points are awarded to those horses and their respective trainers and jockeys that finish in the top five in each race of the Championship.

J.J. Houlahan Jumps Championship Leaderboard as at 3 May 2006

Horse

14 - Real Tonic
12 - Superior Man
12 - Bello Signor
8 - March In Style
8 - Sadler Joh
8 - Noah Yarn
8 - St Steven
6 - Mascagni
6 - Demondo
6 - Super Cobra
4 - Dawson Road
2 - Aquila Street
2 - Ground Speed

Jockey

22 - Adam Trinder
20 - Steven Pateman
18 - Brad McLean
8 - Jason Evans
8 - Adrian Garraway
6 - Brian Constable
4 - Nathan Dunn
4 - Brett Scott
4 - Andrea Leek
2 - Craig Durden
2 - Perry Thomas

Trainer

28 - Eric Musgrove
22 - John Wheeler
14 - Bill Wilde
12 - Reg Jennings
8 - John O'Connor
6 - Daniel Clarken
4 - John Leek (Jnr)
2 - Gordon Richards

For further information about the J.J. Houlahan Jumps Championship please visit
www.racingvictoria.net.au.

PIC - Jenny Barnes.

Racing Victoria Media Release Published 03/05/06