Hezashocka (NZ) Pounces in Premier’s Cup

Karaka graduate Hezashocka  (NZ) (Shocking) stepped down from Group One company and scored a comfortable victory in Saturday’s A$200,000 Group Three Living Turf Premier’s Cup (2400m) at Eagle Farm.

The son of Shocking was bought for just $18,000 from Book 3 of Karaka 2019. He has now earned more than A$1.37m from his 32-start career, which is 82 times his purchase price.

The Premier’s Cup was the fifth career win and third at stakes level for Hezashocka, who had previously won the Group Two Championship Stakes (2100m) in New Zealand as a three-year-old, along with last month’s Listed Gosford Gold Cup (2200m).

Hezashocka has also placed in the Group One Champions Stakes (2000m), Group Three JRA Plate (2000m) and Listed Mornington Cup (2400m), and finished fourth in the Group One Queen Elizabeth Stakes (2000m) and fifth in the Group One Australian Cup (2000m). He was a last-start seventh in the Group One Doomben Cup (2000m), crossing the finish line less than three lengths from the winner.

Saturday’s Premier’s Cup was a step down in class and a step up in distance, and Hezashocka showed the Eagle Farm crowd what he was capable of.

Given a perfect run in fifth and one off the rail by jockey Jamie Kah, Hezashocka cruised to the lead in the straight and took the race by the scruff of the neck. Alegron (Teofilo) chased hard and ate into his margin late in the piece, but Hezashocka was never in any real danger of defeat and crossed the finish line with more than half a length up his sleeve.

“I just said to the owners that I probably shouldn't get paid, that was too easy," Kah said. "He's just a gentleman to ride and he's been running so well.”

Hezashocka carries the colours of syndicators OTI Racing, who share ownership alongside the gelding’s original Kiwi co-trainer Emma Clotworthy and renowned former commentator Keith Haub. The six-year-old is trained by Mick Price and Michael Kent Jnr.

“What a ride by Jamie,” Kent said. “She said before the race that she was going to be fifth and one off – there you go. He was always travelling like the winner.

“He won the Gosford Cup and we had a plan to come here as our next target. We thought we’d give him a spin around in the Doomben Cup for a run, and he went super in that race.

“He loves soft ground and he’s going great. There’s a big group of owners here today, so I’m delighted for them.

“The Q22 (Group Two, 2200m) might appeal as an obvious target now. When this horse finds form, he usually holds it. We lost him for a while this season on firm tracks, but he’s thriving at the moment. For $1.2 million, why wouldn’t you go there?”

Vendor	Grangewilliam Stud
Purchaser	Mr S Clotworthy (Auckland)
Breeding	Shocking – Shezakiwi
Sale	Lot 1180, Karaka 2019 Book 3, $18,000
Bred by	Mrs A A Corcoran