Fabulous Flight Just That

The second of Te Akau's two Rotorua wins came with Fabulous Flight ...

Fabulous Flight (4 g I Am Invincible - Court Flying, by Flying Spur) continued a good day for trainer Jamie Richards at Rotorua, with a strong victory in the $10,000 Holiday Inn Maiden 1400 metres.

Following a win earlier in the programme by debutante Weaponry (Declaration of War), Fabulous Flight became his 40^th win for the season, including eight in stakes races, with 52% of runners paying a dividend, and he continues his reign atop the training premiership.

Richards also presented second place getters King Kane (Showcasing) and Don'tblamethemusic (Coats Choice) and both Dublin Rose (O'Reilly) and Icebomb (Darci Brahma) finished fourth.

Consistent in four prior starts, including a debut third at Rotorua, Fabulous Flight worked forward into second at the 1000m and after levelling at the top of the straight he wound up strongly in the short run home to win narrowly but well. Again, it was a copybook ride by Opie Bosson - deftly aware of the type of trip the horse needed to win on the course.

“He travelled sweetly throughout and when I asked him he quickened up nicely,” Bosson said. “He was due for a good race after being unlucky in his last few.”

Most recently, Fabulous Flight was the victim of being tightened and having to change ground in the straight on 10 November at Te Rapa, in the Maiden 1400 metres, where he got going late and looked good through the line.

Strongly supported on the tote, Fabulous Flight ran the 1400 metres in 1:25.6, last 600m in 37, and paid $2.70 & $1.40 on the tote.

“His form had been pretty good and we'd been pleased with the horse,” Richards said. “He'd been working well and a credit to the team at home who did a good job of getting him ready and he's enjoyed a bit of variety in his training.

“He was aided by a lovely ride by Opie. It was the sort of ride that they should be showing the apprentices at Apprentice School. It was pretty to watch.

“I'm very pleased for the owners. They've allowed us to be patient with the horse. He had a minor injury setback and we've had to give him some time, but, again, he's the type of horse you can buy out of the Ready to Run Sale and he's a great advertisement for the sale and Te Akau.

“We think he can continue to work his way through the grades and the way he's racing suggests he can get a mile no problem at all.”

Purchased by David Ellis for $205,000, from the draft of Lyndhurst Farm, at the 2016 New Zealand Bloodstock Ready to Run Sale, he is a lovely type of horse with the depth of pedigree to keep improving for the Te Akau Fabulous Flight Syndicate (Mgr: Karyn Fenton-Ellis MNZM).

“He really deserved the win for a great group of owners and Karyn and I have got some good friends in the horse, so I'm thrilled for his owners,” Ellis said.

“He's another smart horse that Jamie and I bought out of the Ready to Run Sale, from a draft that we've also bought Gingernuts and Hall of Fame, Group One winners, and Te Akau Shark who was an incredible winner of the Group 2 Coupland's and being set for the Doncaster Handicap in Sydney.

“Jamie has handled him patiently, done a great job, and Opie is back riding in top form again. He's the best in the business, riding in great touch, and he's just so fit now. He's riding Probabeel at 55.5kgs for us on Saturday at Ellerslie, which is a result working hard on his weight, putting his body through the pain barrier, and I'm just so proud of him. He's back big time.”

Reflecting on the recently completed New Zealand Bloodstock Ready to Run Sale, where he was leading buyer, Ellis said: “It's quite incredible the success we've had with horses from this sale. We bought eight horses at the recent sale and they sold in record time, in four days, and we then bought a Savabeel filly that was passed in and she's sold too.”

Fabulous Flight was strapped by Chelsea Burdan.

Photo credit - www.raceimages.co.nz