Very Special Warrior Win

Previous course winner Zambezi Warrior (4 g Pentire - Zambezi, by Zabeel) provided Te Akau apprentice Jasmine Fawcett with her first win when scoring fresh up in the $22,500 Mount Shop Rating 75 1400 metres on September 18 at Pukekohe.

On the same track in April, Zambezi Warrior had beaten his own age group in the 3YO 2100 metres, prior to finishing second in the $100,000 Championship Stakes (Gr. 2, 2100m) at Ellerslie, and following a spell, and two preparatory trials, he proved too classy for the opposition under a well judged ride by Fawcett.

Credit must go to trainers Stephen Autridge & Jamie Richards for having the confidence in their apprentice, whose four kilo claim reduced the impost to 56kgs.

“Jasmine (Fawcett) does a lot of hard work behind the scenes and is a pretty important part of our team,” Richards said. “She rides a lot of work, is really starting to improve with her times and in the way that she is riding.”

While some speculation to his chances could have been raised after overnight rain downgraded the track to Heavy10, Fawcett had the foresight to keep her mount balanced in centre field before angling into space at the 300m and he came clear inside the final 100m with little persuasion.

Winning by two and a quarter lengths, Zambezi Warrior covered the 1400 metres in 1:29.2 and paid handsomely on the NZ TAB: $14.30 & $4.20.

“I'm still waiting for it to kick in, but it feels good and I'm really happy to get that off my back,” Fawcett said, who admitted to having a big smile on her face when she crossed the line.

“He (Zambezi Warrior) ran home lovely and I didn't ask much of him. I gave him a couple of taps on the shoulder and he knew what he was doing.

“He's a lovely horse and showed how versatile he is, because we didn't really expect him to handle the ground but he did handle it and although the distance was too short for him he was fresh up.

“Jamie (Richards) told me to be patient, because it was a long straight, and just to hit him on the shoulder and stay balanced.  I've still got a bit to work on but I'll get there and hopefully this is the start of the next stage.”

Fawcett (22) has been involved with horses from a young age and always wanted to be a jockey.

“My mother worked for Jim Gibbs when she was my age and her first horse was an ex racehorse which I would ride around and then I started pony club,” Fawcett said.

After powering home to win his Maiden over a mile in January at Matamata, Zambezi Warrior was unlucky not to have gained a Derby spot after being checked out of contention in a lead up race to the $750,000 BMW NZ Derby (Gr. 1, 2400m), when attempting to boost his stake money, after being balloted out of the Avondale Guineas (Gr. 2, 2100m).

Zambezi Warrior was purchased by David Ellis for $75,000 at the 2014 New Zealand Bloodstock Premier Yearling Sale, for the Te Akau 2014 Cups Syndicate, from the draft of Goodwood Stud.

“He was an outstanding first foal from a highly talented mare that was trained by Te Akau,” Ellis said. “Zambezi was a genuine Cups' mare before injury curtailed her career and this horse looks like a great staying type.

His grand-dam, Tall Poppy (Kaapstad), was as good a racehorse as you are likely to see. A beautiful black mare with a fantastic turn of foot and determination to match, Tall Poppy won eleven races from 1400 metres to 2000m and culminated her career by winning the NZ Stakes (Gr. 1, 2000m) at Ellerslie. At the highest level, she also won the Thorndon Mile (Gr. 1, 1600m), Waikato Sprint (Gr. 1, 1400m), two Group Two races and two Listed.

Continuing the theme in the family of prolific wins, his third dam, Fun on the Run (Racing Is Fun) won 18 races, including the Jarden Mile (Gr. 1, 1600m) at Trentham.

Zambezi Warrior was strapped by fellow Te Akau apprentice Wiremu Pinn.

Photo credits - www.raceimages.co.nz

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