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Myers does it again as Kick Back takes Pakuranga Hunt Cup

3 minute read

The deadly Kevin Myers and Shaun Fannin pairing combined once again to take out a premier jumping contest as Kick Back prevailed in a thrilling finish to the Tractor Centre Pakuranga Hunt Cup at Ellerslie.

Kick Back winning the Pakuranga Hunt Cup
Kick Back winning the Pakuranga Hunt Cup Picture: Kenton Wright

Fannin rode a perfectly judged race to come from near last with a lap to run in the 4900 metre contest as he guided Kick Back to victory by a head over last year’s winner Jack Romanov as the pair staged an all out war over the final 100 metres of the contest.

Kick Back’s stablemate and race favourite Crash Bandicoot finished close up in third, just ahead of gallant outsider Nells Belle who had made a bold bid to steal the race when taking control with 2000 metres left to run.

Despite her smallish stature Fannin was quick to praise his mounts fighting spirit.

“She’s really only a tiny mare but she has a huge heart and a real never-say-die attitude,” he remarked.

“She is just so tough and when it got a bit close as we squeezed between them over the last fence she just put her head down and went for it.”

Fannin was delighted with the way the mare handled her first look at the famed Ellerslie steeplechase circuit and is looking forward to bigger things in a fortnight.

“She loved those fences and jumped beautifully all the way,” he said.

“The plan was to stay back early and follow Crash Bandicoot into the race but he jumped up to the leaders a little earlier than I wanted so I just bided my time until the top of the hill.

“I did get caught up a little behind a couple and when she got to the outside coming down the hill I thought I might be a little too far back. She seemed to appreciate the good ground though and really made up lengths from that point so I knew I was a big chance with a good jump at the last and she flew it.

“Hopefully she comes through this one well as I think on that performance she has to be a big chance in the Great Northern now.”

Although beaten, runner-up Jack Romanov showed he is right on target to defend his Great Northern Steeplechase crown with a gritty effort that will top off his preparation nicely for the 6400 metre event to be run on the 3rd of September.


NZ Racing News

Ellerslie

Saturday, 20th August 2016

6
15:36
(local)

Pakuranga Hunt Cup

WT: 65kg Type: STPLE
NZD $50,000
4900m TURF HEAVY
6
15:36
(local)
NZD $50,000
4900m HEAVY

Pakuranga Hunt Cup

WT: 65kg Type: STPLE

This Prestige Steeplechase (4900m) saw Kevin Myers trained and Shaun Fanin ridden domination continue in jumps racing throughout New Zealand this year in particular. Kick Back was ridden quietly and only picked a path through the field on top of the hill the last time and coming down it to reach sixth with two fences to negotiate. The 8yo mare then loomed a dangerous fourth at the final fence before digging deepest to take the lead with 50m to go and win by a head in 6:05.83. It was her tenth win in thirty-eighth starts and showed she can have a crack at the 6400m of the Great Northern Steeplechase in two weeks if her connections desire. The runner up Jack Romanov ran a ripper considering he carried 5kg more than the winner and he is peaking perfectly for his Great Northern Steeplechase defence of last year, which he won by sixteen lengths. Crash Bandicoot has come a long way this year and his third showed he will not be out of his depth in the big show and three times over the hill in two weeks. He is a stablemate of the winner showing the Myers leaping arsenal is the most formidable jumping army in the land. Nells Belle ran a blinder after taking the lead 2400m from home, as she had won her maiden steeplechase prior to today, so she will add some colour to whatever race she runs in next. Wise Men Say once again was grinding on here like he is waiting for the four miles in two weeks here. Amanood Lad may have been caught up with by father time as the 12yo stopped badly after being second mostly then fourth with two fences to clear. Great Northern time is Amanood Lad time so never write off a proven performer that was third in the big race last year and won it the year before but his last two outings have seen him buckle. The rest were beaten out of sight and have no realistic chance to get the Great Northern Steeplechase trip so once again a small field is very likely. Stagehand lost his rider in this with just over a mile to go so he might be the only one that could handle the 6400m in two weeks. It was a very old field of jumpers today and many of the usual suspects so the depth is not there and has not been for quite a while. Jack Romanov will be favourite to defend his crown and Kevin Myers is likely the only yard that can deny him the coronation.



FP Horse, Age & Sex
Sire & Dam
Jockey
Trainer
SP
WT
1st 4. KICK BACK (NZ) 8yo M
BAHHARE (USA) - TAKE THREE (NZ)
SHAUN FANNIN
KEVIN MYERS
$10.2
65kg
A S & Mrs P Trotter
2nd 2. JACK ROMANOV (NZ) 8yo G
USTINOV (AUS) - COLMERINO (NZ)
R CULLY
MARK BROOKS
$6.4
70kg
K & M H Brooks, Ms M R Browne, D R Duley, G Hocking, J Jenkins & G Vickers

Sales Information

3rd 8. CRASH BANDICOOT (NZ) 8yo G
CASUAL LIES (USA) - MINION (NZ)
M GILLIES
KEVIN MYERS
$3.1
65kg
Mrs F P & S P Harrison, D H Macnab & Miss J L Rathbone
4th 10. NELLS BELLE (NZ) 8yo M
ISTIDAAD (USA) - KILORAN BELLE (NZ)
EMMA GOODINSON
NEIL O'DOWD
$22.3
65kg
5th 6. WISE MEN SAY (NZ) 7yo G
YAMANIN VITAL (NZ) - VAGUELY FAMOUS (NZ)
ISAAC LUPTON
RAYMOND CONNORS
$13.6
65kg

Sales Information

6th 12. BIG BROWNIE (NZ) 13yo G
HEROICITY (AUS) - FOLLOWING SEA (NZ)
G WALSH
ANN BROWNE
$35.5
65kg
7th 1. AMANOOD LAD (NZ) 12yo G
GERMANO (GB) - ANOOD DASH (NZ)
STEVEN PATEMAN
BEN FOOTE
$9.1
70kg
8th 11. OLD REDFEATHER (NZ) 11yo G
GENEROUS (IRE) - HAVITBAK (NZ)
WILL GORDON
WARREN LUND
$88.5
65kg
9th 9. ZENOCOIN (NZ) 9yo G
ZENNO ROB ROY (JPN) - DESERT CENT (NZ)
AARON KURU
GRAEME & DEBBIE ROGERSON
$12
65kg

Sales Information

10th 5. TOM'S MYTH (NZ) 13yo G
RAINBOW MYTH (NZ) - TOM'S JEWEL (NZ)
S KARNICNIK
ANN BROWNE
$39.9
65kg
FF 3. RANGATIRA (NZ) 13yo G
DEPUTY GOVERNOR (USA) - AGGIE GREY (NZ)
C PERRETT
S GULLIVER
$15.1
70kg
FF 13. SUPERTURF (NZ) 10yo G
BLACK MINNALOUSHE (USA) - ALFRED'S JEWEL (NZ)
M R CROPP
GREG LAMBERT
$32.8
65kg

Sales Information

LR 7. STAGEHAND (NZ) 10yo G
DRAMA CRITIC (USA) - NITA'S DREAM (NZ)
MICHAEL MITCHELL
SHAUN CLOTWORTHY
$7
65kg

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