Nelson and McDougal tried hard to pull off the feature jumping double on the day with co-topweight No Tip trying his heart out in the Grant Plumbing Wellington Steeplechase (5500m), however it was outsider Tittletattle with Gary Walsh aboard for trainer Dean Cunningham who upset the applecart at $22.50 on the tote.

Walsh bided his time at the rear of the nine-horse field and was still well off the pace with two jumps to clear as favourites No Tip and Albaron looked likely to fight out the finish.
Walsh and Tittletattle found their second wind as they returned to the course proper in the home straight and ran clear to win by an increasing seventeen-length margin at the line as she became the first mare since Gaiety in 1949 to win the race.
It was also the first victory for the nine-year-old mare at her 32nd start with Cunningham admitting he had been confident of a good performance but not necessarily a winning one.

“That was amazing and she really showed some fight in that last 800m,” he said.
“It’s not a bad way to break your maiden I guess, but she has gone some good races in this type of contest in the past.
“Gary rides her really well and when he asked her to come into the race, she made up a lot of ground in a hurry.
“I had thought she could get some of the money today but when you haven’t won a race before it’s a little hard to be that confident of a win.
“I knew she wouldn’t give up and when she charged into a gap coming on to the course proper, I started to think she could win it.”
Cunningham will now set his sights on the Racecourse Hotel & Motor Lodge Grand National Steeplechase (5600m) at Riccarton on August 13, a race that Tittletattle ran fourth in in 2021.
“I had been thinking about Riccarton and now she has won I guess that’s where we will be going,” he said.
“She has towed me back to the tie-ups after the race so she didn’t seem to take any ill effect from her effort and is as bright as a button.
“I hadn’t thought about starting her on the first day down at Riccarton but will have a think about it now depending on how she does between then and now.” – NZ Racing Desk