Hezashocka (NZ) Grabs Gosford Gold Cup

The stamina, class and toughness of Karaka graduate Hezashocka (NZ) (Shocking) shone through in a powerful come-from-behind victory in Saturday’s A$300,000 Listed Buterin L’Estrange Gosford Gold Cup (2200m) at Newcastle.

The staying feature was the fourth win of a 30-race career for Hezashocka, who has earned more than A$1.2m in prize-money. He was bought for just $18,000 from Book 3 of Karaka 2019, so has returned more than 73 times his purchase price.

This was the first win since July 2022 for Hezashocka, but in between times he had placed in the Group One Champions Stakes (2000m), Group Three JRA Plate (2000m) and Listed Mornington Cup (2400m), along with a fourth in the Group One Queen Elizabeth Stakes (2000m) and fifth in the Group One Australian Cup (2000m).

A wet track at Newcastle on Saturday held no fears for Hezashocka, who launched an irresistible finish out of the pack in the hands of jockey Chad Schofield. The six-year-old reeled in the runaway leader Sir Lucan (Camelot) down the straight and edged past him to win by almost a length at the line, with the third placegetter another seven lengths adrift of the first pair.

“I was worried,” Schofield said. “Rachel (King) had stolen a decent march on me on Sir Lucan. At that point, she was in full flight and I was held up for a run. But to my horse's credit he really picked up and chased down the leader. He quickened well with his light weight and was strong through the line.”

Hezashocka is trained by Mick Price and Michael Kent Jnr, who will now give Hezashocka the opportunity to compete during the Queensland Winter Carnival.

“He’s a horse who likes heavy tracks,” stable representative Ben Elam said. “He gave us something to work with today because he was able to settle midfield rather than right out the back, where the race is sort of over before it has really begun.

“Sir Lucan was out on a limb the whole way and I thought he was going to stop at some stage, while I knew Hezashocka is a horse that doesn’t slow down. When he gets the revs up, he holds that gallop the whole way, so I knew he would keep coming.

“The leader put up a great showing, but I thought our horse did a terrific job to run him down.

“He will go to Queensland now and there is a nice string of 2400-metre races that will suit him up there. He's a horse that could not be going any better. He’s made the most of this rain that's around in Sydney, and now to Queensland where there are heavy tracks as well, so we are pretty excited.”