Fannin suggests speed the key to beating his old mate in Koral
Not that there will be anything unusual about jumping on Jesko, the new star of New Zealand steeplechasing, whom Fannin trains with wife Hazel and
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NZ Herald
5 days ago
- NZ Herald
New stars of jumps racing light up Riccarton as Nationals loom
Fannin got Jesko over the second last efficiently enough, then balanced him up and asked for a better jump at the last. He got it, pushed the turbo button and in three strides the 4250m race was over. Jesko showed the speed of a horse who was able to place in a 2200m flat race just eight days earlier and was simply too fast for Captains Run and West Coast. Those two were brave, but heart and stamina were no match for sheer leg speed on a day when Riccarton basked in sunshine rather than producing a winter bog. The question now for the army of punters in love with Jesko is how much harder the 5600m of next Saturday's Grand National Steeplechase will be? And whether Jesko's younger legs can still outsprint his rivals, especially if the weather changes and the track is deeper? Fannin, who trains Jesko with his wife Hazel, thinks the horse can handle the more daunting challenge, especially as Jesko can't be re-handicapped for Saturday's win. 'The way he got to the line today gives me confidence he can win again next week,' said Fannin. Jesko is now $1.50 with the TAB to win the National, pushing West Coast out to $4.20 as he attempts to win the race for the fourth straight year. Earlier in the programme, Dictation suggested he is the horse to beat in next Saturday's Grand National Hurdles when he bolted away with the Sydenham Hurdles. It was redemption for the Hastings jumper as he had led and was about to win the same race last year before dislodging his jockey at the last fence, allowing Berry The Cash to win. A week later Berry The Cash went on to win the Grand National for the second time with Dictation's co-trainer Paul Nelson opting to bypass the iconic race. That won't be the case this year. Dictation had already shown he has improved since last season when he won the Waikato Hurdles two starts ago and the ease of his victory yesterday will worry connections of his rivals next week. He was bold in front, relaxed after chancing two consecutive fences down the back straight and never really looked in danger of defeat. He and Berry The Cash now share $2.60 equal favouritism for the Grand National Hurdle. 'I think he will improve with that run too,' said Nelson. 'He missed a little bit of work after he banged a leg following that Te Rapa win [Waikato Hurdles] so this will bring him on.' Helping Dictation further is the fact he won't be re-handicapped for Saturday's race, which means he will still have a 7kg swing in the weights over Berry The Cash when they go an extra 1100m. Michael Guerin wrote his first nationally published racing articles while still in school and started writing about horse racing and the gambling industry for the Herald as a 20-year-old in 1990. He became the Herald's Racing Editor in 1995 and covers the world's biggest horse racing carnivals.
NZ Herald
6 days ago
- NZ Herald
Fannin suggests speed the key to beating his old mate in Koral
Shaun Fannin admits it will feel a little odd when he is legged aboard Jesko before the $50,000 Racecourse Hotel Koral Steeplechase at Riccarton tomorrow. Not that there will be anything unusual about jumping on Jesko, the new star of New Zealand steeplechasing, whom Fannin trains with wife Hazel and
Otago Daily Times
6 days ago
- Otago Daily Times
McCarthy to ride champion
Trainer Mark Oulaghan has called on one of Australia's leading jumps jockeys to partner West Coast as the outstanding jumper heads south in pursuit of a historic fourth consecutive Grand National crown. West Coast has been partnered in each of his 11 steeplechase victories by Shaun Fannin, who will race against the son of Mettre En Jeu in Saturday's Koral Steeplechase (4250m) aboard his own horse, Jesko. With Fannin unavailable, Oulaghan has secured the services of Willie McCarthy, an Irish hoop based in Victoria. McCarthy is no stranger to high-pressure races, and winning them, having guided the likes of Stern Idol, Duke Of Bedford and Wil John to feature victories across the Tasman. — News Desk
