The unbeaten run of brilliant steeplechaser Bashboy has come to an end with the champion jumper unable to overcome a huge weight and a fighting performance by Maythehorsebemagic in the Australian Steeplechase at Sandown on Wednesday.

Bashboy ($2.25 fav) carried 10kg more than any of his rivals and it started to tell in the final 800 metres of the 3900m race when Maythehorsebemagic ($2.90), who led from the start, put on the pace as Bashboy began to tire.

It was then that eventual second placegetter Zaman ($4) made his move and took the lead from Maythehorsebemagic, but the Jarrod McLean-trained gelding, ridden by his brother Brad, answered the challenge to fight back and win by 5-1/4 lengths with Bashboy another 5-1/4 lengths away third.

Maher said the weight started to tell on Bashboy, who had won his previous seven steeplechase races including the Grand National.

Winning trainer McLean praised the great front-running ride by his brother and said Maythehorsebemagic could be a star next season.

"I thought Zaman had the better of us jumping the last but our bloke really kicked into the fight," McLean said.

In the Australian Hurdle (3400m) Westsouthwest upset the short-priced favourite Montgomery to finish too strongly after the latter had controlled the 3400m race in a field reduced to just four runners.

The win wrapped up the J J Houlahan Jumps Championship for trainer Robert Smerdon. The Australian Hurdle and Steeplechase were added to Wednesday's Sandown meeting after being washed out in June.

Westsouthwest turned the tables on Montgomery following their last meeting three weeks ago when the Cindy Alderson-trained eight-year-old gelding won by five lengths, getting 5-1/2 kilos from his rival.

At level weights with both carrying 64kg, Westsouthwest ($2.45) outstretched Montgomery ($1.80 fav) to win by 1-1/4 lengths with Dubdara ($6.50) third, another 10 lengths back.

In the Rookie Jumpers Series Final, Smerdon's Arch Fire ($1.50 fav) let Budai ($6) do all the work in the 3400m hurdle before surging ahead with 50 metres to go on to win by three-quarters of a length with Success Dostta ($6.50) another 3-1/2 lengths third.