Kick Back lands first ahead of Wise Men Say and the grey Snodroptwinkletoes
Race Images Palmerston North
Shaun Fannin's charge toward a first jumps jockeys' premiership continued at Awapuni on Saturday where it was another case of double delight for the 20-year-old with trainer Kevin Myers.
It was Fannin's 16th win of the season to give him a buffer of five on the reigning champion Michael Mitchell.
The Hastings-based jockey has formed a potent partnership with Myers and the pair had struck twice at Timaru on Friday with Mailly and McCulley.
They were quickly into stride at Awapuni with success in the opener with Twentythirtyfour before they combined with Kick Back to claim the Manawatu ITM Manawatu Steeplechase.
While stablemate Snodroptwinkletoes was the ruling favourite after his last-start second in the McGregor Grant Steeplechase at Ellerslie, Fannin had fancied his chances aboard Kick Back.
"I won a couple of steeplechases on her at Te Aroha last year and she's got a good sprint on her," he said.
"She travelled into it nicely from the 800 and while she was putting in some short strides at the end, she was entitled to – she was only second up and she's going to improve a lot."
Kick Back led over the last two fences and she had enough in reserve to hold out Wise Men Say by a head with Snodroptwinkletoes a long neck back in third.
While Twentythirtyfour hadn't eyed a fence on race day before, Fannin was also confident of a top showing from him in the Winstone Wallboards Maiden Steeplechase.
"He has been sensibly schooled and he's been to numerous jumping trials," he said. "He jumped well today and went to the line strongly. He was superb, I was stoked with him"
Twentythirtyfour took control of the race down the back for the final time and he proved too good for his stablemate Beforunoit. – NZ Racing Desk.
It was Fannin's 16th win of the season to give him a buffer of five on the reigning champion Michael Mitchell.
The Hastings-based jockey has formed a potent partnership with Myers and the pair had struck twice at Timaru on Friday with Mailly and McCulley.
They were quickly into stride at Awapuni with success in the opener with Twentythirtyfour before they combined with Kick Back to claim the Manawatu ITM Manawatu Steeplechase.
While stablemate Snodroptwinkletoes was the ruling favourite after his last-start second in the McGregor Grant Steeplechase at Ellerslie, Fannin had fancied his chances aboard Kick Back.
"I won a couple of steeplechases on her at Te Aroha last year and she's got a good sprint on her," he said.
"She travelled into it nicely from the 800 and while she was putting in some short strides at the end, she was entitled to – she was only second up and she's going to improve a lot."
Kick Back led over the last two fences and she had enough in reserve to hold out Wise Men Say by a head with Snodroptwinkletoes a long neck back in third.
While Twentythirtyfour hadn't eyed a fence on race day before, Fannin was also confident of a top showing from him in the Winstone Wallboards Maiden Steeplechase.
"He has been sensibly schooled and he's been to numerous jumping trials," he said. "He jumped well today and went to the line strongly. He was superb, I was stoked with him"
Twentythirtyfour took control of the race down the back for the final time and he proved too good for his stablemate Beforunoit. – NZ Racing Desk.