Awapuni jumps jockey and trainer Shaun Fannin enjoyed a successful outing in the saddle at Woodville on Sunday, a hot run of form he hopes can continue heading into the AHD Hawke’s Bay Hunt Raceday at Hastings this Saturday.
Fannin continued his long and successful association with Wanganui trainer Kevin Myers when combining to take out both the Murray Contractors Open Hurdle (3000m) and the Woodville Service Centre Open Steeplechase (4000m) with Happy Star and Prince Turbo respectively.
A seven-year-old son of Fabulous, Happy Star has shown his ability on the flat this season with multiple placings at Listed level, however, reverted back to the jumps to record his third win in four starts over the hurdles, which included victory in last year’s Grand National Hurdles (4200m).
The gelding, who was previously co-trained by part-owner Johno Benner, led from the first fence to the finishing post, utilising the flat speed and talent over fences he possesses when striding to victory from placegetters Mizzena and Carnaby, who gave Myers a stable trifecta in the race.
“Happy Star was quite impressive, he’s a very free going jumper and loved being out in front yesterday,” Fannin said.
Stablemate Prince Turbo has relished a change to the steeplechase fences this season, the Alamosa gelding going two-from-two after breaking his maiden on debut at Awapuni last month.
A patient ride from Fannin kept the eight-year-old in touch with pacemaker and eventual runner-up Raucous throughout, before making a move at the 600m and was never headed to race away by four and a half lengths at the post.
“He’s an up and comer, he jumped really well and finished off strong,” Fannin said.
Fannin, who has also enjoyed nine victories as a trainer this season, will now turn his focus to Saturday’s Hastings meeting, where he will combine with the Mark Oulaghan-trained West Coast in the feature event, the AHD Hawkes Bay Steeplechase (4800m).
The Mettre En Jeu gelding will be among the favoured runners in the race, having completed the elusive Koral Steeplechase (4250m)-Grand National Steeplechase (5600m) double under Fannin at Riccarton Park last year.
Oulaghan rated the consistent seven-year-old’s maiden victory over the hurdles in Wellington last month, having since had a conditioning run out of grade on the flat to prepare for his assignment this Saturday.
“He’ll have a gallop on the course proper here (Awapuni) tomorrow, and he should be pretty right for Saturday,” Oulaghan said.
The Awapuni-based horseman enjoyed a victory as breeder, owner and trainer of Niagara gelding Pinkerton, who strode through the heavy conditions for stable rider Portia Matthews in the Dairy Pond Spreaders Rating 65 Highweight (1600m) at the Woodville meeting.
“He’s only a little horse and he’s been a bit unlucky in his last couple of runs, so we thought if he did things right and got the right run, he was a reasonable show,” Oulaghan said.
“It’s been a while since he’s won a race, but it wasn’t totally unexpected.”
