Fiumicino (NZ) Fighting to the End

It was announced by the Hawkes stable last week that Saturday’s A$100,000 Listed McKell Cup (2400m) at Randwick would be the last race for the evergreen galloper Fiumicino (NZ) but a resounding win may have briefly extended his time in training.

Now nine years old, Fiumicino (Zabeel x Latte) was one of two stakes winners for his sire Zabeel on Saturday with Precedence also successful in the Group 3 Premier’s Cup at Doomben.

Fiumicino has raced for seven seasons in Australia for over A$3 million in stakes

Fiumicino has been racing for seven seasons in Australia for trainers Michael, Wayne & John Hawkes, a testament to his resilience and love of racing. During his illustrious career the son of Zabeel won the Group 1 Australian Derby and raced on to win the Group 1 BMW Stakes at five, was Group 1 placed at six and stakes placed at eight.

This season Fiumicino has defied his age with a burst back into Australia’s stakes ranks, winning the Listed Underwood Cup in December and Saturday’s Listed McKell Cup, plus placings in the Listed Christmas and Bendigo Cups.

Saturday’s race saw Fiumicino settle just off the pace for the 2400 metre trip, having the field in all sorts of trouble 600 metres out when taking the lead and putting the rest under pressure. Two lengths clear at the top of the straight, the tough galloper never looked in danger as he raced comfortably to a resounding three-length victory.

Co-trainer Michael Hawkes commented that Fiumicino still showed that spark and love for racing and given Saturday’s result, a crack at the Group 2 Brisbane Cup is now on the cards.

Fiumicino was bred by Graham de Gruchy in conjunction with Sir Patrick & Lady Hogan and was purchased by his owner Nick Moraitis from Cambridge Stud at New Zealand Bloodstock’s 2005 Karaka Premier Sale for $425,000.

“He ran his heart out on Saturday and he’s been a great horse for the Horlicks family, the Hawkes team and Nick Moraitis,” said Fiumicino’s co-breeder Graham de Gruchy.

“He went without a win for almost three years before he won the Underwood Cup late last year and he has had issues with his tendons as well so it’s great to see him back in winning form this season.”

Fiumicino is a grandson of de Gruchy’s famous race mare Horlicks who won the Japan Cup. The Hawke’s Bay based breeder has enjoyed a successful season having also bred Tremec (NZ) (Zabeel), another grandson of Horlicks who won the Group 2 Chairman’s Handicap in April.

“It’s fantastic to see the Horlicks family still producing top horses,” said de Gruchy. “Tremec has enjoyed a successful season and he has climbed his way through the grades very quickly since the start of the year and is now one of the more exciting young stayers in Australasia at present.”

In a remarkable career, Fiumicino has won seven of his 46 career starts for stakes earnings of A$3,080,885.