McCullum
Kenton Wright Photography
A horse named after former New Zealand cricket captain Brendon McCullum made an auspicious debut at Tauranga on Wednesday.
McCullum, prepared by Ralph Manning at Cambridge and bred and raced by former high-profile jockey Gavin McKeon, his wife Emma, Steve Cross and David Read, overcame a slipped saddle in running to make a winning debut in the Ultimate Motor Group 1200.
McCullum had won two trials, at Te Aroha in December 2014 and at Cambridge in May last year, and overcome fractures that had kept him from making his debut until now.
"Every time we got him ready something happened to him," McKeon said. "We nearly had him sold a couple of times, but he's not a saleable horse now."
Stable apprentice Zy Nor Azman dealt with the slipped saddle well and was still able to urge his mount to the line to win the first race of the new gallops season.
"When the saddle slipped forward I just tried not to panic," Nor Azman said.
"It's so great to win the first race of the season for my boss Mr Manning and my mentor Gavin McKeon," he said. "I'm so happy about that." - NZ Racing Desk
McCullum, prepared by Ralph Manning at Cambridge and bred and raced by former high-profile jockey Gavin McKeon, his wife Emma, Steve Cross and David Read, overcame a slipped saddle in running to make a winning debut in the Ultimate Motor Group 1200.
McCullum had won two trials, at Te Aroha in December 2014 and at Cambridge in May last year, and overcome fractures that had kept him from making his debut until now.
"Every time we got him ready something happened to him," McKeon said. "We nearly had him sold a couple of times, but he's not a saleable horse now."
Stable apprentice Zy Nor Azman dealt with the slipped saddle well and was still able to urge his mount to the line to win the first race of the new gallops season.
"When the saddle slipped forward I just tried not to panic," Nor Azman said.
"It's so great to win the first race of the season for my boss Mr Manning and my mentor Gavin McKeon," he said. "I'm so happy about that." - NZ Racing Desk