Champion Australian jumps jockey Steven Pateman has landed his first New Zealand win and moved a step closer to fulfilling one of his ambitions.

Pateman won Monday's McGregor Grant Steeplechase (4150m) at Ellerslie on the Ben Foote-trained Amanood Lad, last year's Great Northern Steeplechase winner who is being aimed at the same race this year.

The Great Northern Steeplechase is a race Pateman says he would dearly love to win after finishing second to Amanood Lad on Tobouggie Nights last September.

"It's a real ambition of mine to win the Great Northern - it's a tough race to conquer, but this might be the horse," Pateman told the NZ Racing Desk.

"It's a special race and I hope to be part of it."

Pateman had not won a jumps race in New Zealand before Monday's victory which was his first ride on Amanood Lad.