Grand Annual Steeplechase: Gold Medals too strong for brave Zed Em in another epic battle at Warrnambool

Muhammad Ali and Joe Frazier are well behind Gold Medals and Zed Em after Thursday’s Grand Annual Steeplechase at Warrnambool.

Ali and Frazier went toe-to-toe three times in the ring in the 1970s with Ali winning twice. Gold Medals and Zed Em clashed in the Grand Annual Steeplechase for the fourth successive year.

Gold Medals defeated Zed Em in 2018. Zed Em squared the ledger in 2019 but Ablaze proved far too good for the pair last year.

The pair went into the race with 135 starts combined with 42 of those over jumps.

That experience took Zed Em and Gold Medals well clear of their younger rivals jumping the last obstacle.

The last 400m was a matter of who wanted it more. Class mattered little at the end of the 5500m.

Zed Em gave his all in another epic performance but Gold Medals had a 2½kg weight pull. That was enough to get him home by a length, thrusting jockey Clayton Douglas and trainer Symon Wilde into Warrnambool folklore as part of the super Gold Medals story.

Douglas said Gold Medals wasn’t quite at his best early in the $350,000 race but the gelding’s trademark determination was there when required.

“He’s just an unbelievable horse,” Douglas said.

“Made a couple of mistakes early but I had him in an ordinary spot where I didn’t want to be and I was jumping a bit blind, but he’s just incredible.

“He went on to win the race but in saying that Zed Em was very strong to the line as well. It’s been a great competition between the two of them and there’s not much between them.”

Wilde choked back tears as he marvelled at Gold Medals’ effort to notch his fourth jumps win in an amazing nine appearances at the Warrnambool carnival.

“He’s an amazing horse, he really is. To turn up as much as he has. I’m so grateful to have him,” Wilde said.

“What an athlete to be able to turn up year after year. He’s got an amazing constitution.

“The staff at home, we all love him. He comes in year after year. He’s almost like a pet. He’s got some constitution. He’s amazing.”

Wilde paid tribute to Zed Em’s brave effort under 71kg to race on the pace for a large chunk of the ace.

He said Gold Medals and Zed Em showed their younger rivals there was plenty of racing left in the veterans.

“Zed Em was fantastic with the weight. But it just goes to show (up) the young ones with no weight, the whippersnappers, they’re still the kings at the moment,” Wilde said.

Trainer Patrick Payne was unsure whether Zed Em would be back for another bout with Gold Medals next year.

Wilde said he would love Gold Medals to return to Warrnambool for one last crack at the Grand Annual next year before his compulsory retirement at the end of his 12-year-old season.