Jericho Cup Countdown Underway
10 September 2021
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The A$300,000 Jericho Cup (4600m) is an increasingly popular event on the Australasian racing calendar, and NZB Airfreight is proud to again play its part in getting kiwis to the starting gates at Warrnambool.
Saturday’s New Plymouth meeting features the $32,500 NZB Airfreight Road to Jericho (3210m). It is the first of two qualifying heats staged in New Zealand, with the second heat to be held over 3000m at Riccarton Park on 23 October. The winner of each race receives a guaranteed start in the Jericho Cup.
As sponsors, NZB Airfreight will offer a $5,000 equine airfreight credit for the winner of each qualifying race, should they decide to travel across the Tasman and contest the Jericho Cup.
The Jericho Cup is open to Australian and New Zealand-bred horses only, commemorating the light horse involvement in World War I and run on the fourth Sunday after the Group One Melbourne Cup (3200m). The original Jericho Cup was run in 1918 over three miles through desert sands. Its 100th anniversary was marked with the introduction of the modern Jericho Cup three years ago.
The New Zealand influence on the Jericho Cup has quickly taken hold, with all of the first three winners bred on this side of the Tasman – High Mode (NZ) (Redwood), Ablaze (NZ) (Raise the Flag) and Count Zero (NZ) (Zed).
Saturday’s Road to Jericho has drawn a full field of proven performers both on the flat and over jumps, and the line-up is headed by Master Fin (NZ) (Nom du Jeu), who won this race last year.
The 2021 edition of New Plymouth’s NZB Airfreight Road to the Jericho will be run as Race 7 on Saturday with a start time of 3:50pm.
NZB Airfreight Road to Jericho (3210m) Field
| # | Horse | Draw | Comments | Sale | Purchaser | Trainer | Jockey |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Master Fin | 8 | Proven stayer Master Fin (NZ) (Nom du Jeu) has scored five wins over a range of distances, including last year's edition of this race, which he followed up with an equally impressive victory at Trentham a month later. He has warmed up for Saturday's defence of his Road to Jericho title with recent racing over hurdles, including a second placing at Awapuni on July 29. | Mark Oulaghan | Ashvin Mudhoo | ||
| 2 | Obrigado | 6 | Saturday's 3210m distance will be a new challenge for Obrigado (NZ) (Fully Fledged), whose previous longest race was a second placing over 2500m. But he has been a quality performer with five wins to his name, and has been effective on dead, slow and heavy tracks. | Mike Breslin | Callum Jones | ||
| 3 | Penelope Cruise | 4 | The locally trained Penelope Cruise (NZ) (Ocean Park) brings solid form into Saturday's race, having finished first and second in her two most recent starts. She has recorded four wins and four placings overall from just 20 starts to date, and she has been nominated for the Group Three New Zealand Cup (3200m) in November. | Karaka 2017, Select Sale, $10,000 | Mr HT & Mrs FJ O'Leary | Allan Sharrock | |
| 4 | Chief Sequoyah | 1 | Chief Sequoyah (NZ) (Redwood) is a Listed winner on the flat, capturing the Spring Classic (2000m) at Riccarton in October 2019. In more recent times he has been a revelation over hurdles, winning three of his seven starts to date including the Sydenham Hurdle (3100m). | Karaka 2016, Select Sale, $15,000 | Riversley Park | John Wheeler | Sam O'Malley |
| 5 | Fantasy Flight | 16 | Talented mare Fantasy Flight (NZ) (Echoes of Heaven) has been mixing flat and jumps racing with impressive results in recent times. Her last seven starts have produced two wins on the flat, a win over hurdles, a placing on the flat and a placing over hurdles. | Kevin Myers | Sarah Macnab | ||
| 6 | Twin Spinner | 3 | Pukekohe visitor Twin Spinner (NZ) (Guillotine) is a three-time winner, including a powerful 14-length victory in the Road to Jericho consolation race over this course and distance last year. | Lesley Munro | Hazel Schofer | ||
| 7 | Colin Oscopy | 17 | Attracting a following on both sides of the Tasman for his quirky name, Colin Oscopy (NZ) (Zed) has shown some good potential with two wins, a second, a third and two fourths from his 10 starts to date. He placed over 1800m at this course two starts back, then finished sixth at Te Rapa last week - but less than four lengths from the winner. | Karaka 2018, Book 3, $10,000 | Stirling Bloodstock | Samantha Logan | |
| 8 | Our Craftsman | 2 | Our Craftsman (NZ) (Mastercraftsman) heads into Saturday's race in solid form, having placed in three of his last four starts - two of them over hurdles. | 2016 Ready to Run Sale, $34,000 | Mr IA Gore | Gavin Opie | Temyia Taiaroa |
| 9 | Senassy | 12 | Racing in the Neil O'Dowd colours that were carried in the Jericho Cup a couple of years ago by Aigne (NZ) (Sufficient), the well-performed Senassy (NZ) (Istidaad) has recorded seven wins and 16 placings in her 57-start career. She produced a strong finish to place over 2040m at Wanganui last Saturday. | Kevin Myers | Charlotte O'Beirne | ||
| 10 | Candy Cross | 7 | Candy Cross (NZ) (St Reims) brings recent winning form into Saturday's race, having scored a strong victory over race rival Brucie (NZ) (Raise the Flag) at Otaki two starts ago, on July 31. | Gail Temperton | |||
| 11 | The Cossack | 15 | New Zealand's standout hurdler The Cossack (NZ) (Mastercraftsman) has been an unstoppable force over jumps in the last 12 months, winning the Great Northern Hurdle (4190m), Waikato Hurdle (3200m), Wellington Hurdle (3100m) and Grand National Hurdle (4200m). | Paul Nelson & Corrina McDougal | Leah Hemi | ||
| 12 | Rocking Good Time | 5 | Trained in Cambridge by Ralph Manning, Rocking Good Time (NZ) (Roc de Cambes) heads into this race on the back of a solid second over 2600m at Matamata on September 1. | Karaka 2015, Festival Sale, $8,000 | Mr RR Manning | Ralph Manning | |
| 13 | Heistheone | 14 | Taranaki gelding Heistheone (NZ) (Istidaad) is back on home soil after a campaign in Victoria, in which he contested races like Warrnambool's Brierly Steeplechase (3450m) and Grand Annual Steeplechase (5500m). | John Wheeler | Diego Montes de Oca | ||
| 14 | Leica Warrior | 13 | Leica Warrior (NZ) (Istidaad) brings a consistent formline into this race, having finished third or fourth in all of his last four starts - all in steeplechases. | Maxim Van Lierde | Kate Hercock | ||
| 15 | Brucie | 11 | Six-year-old Brucie (NZ) (Raise the Flag) is one of the least experienced runners in this line-up, with just eight starts for a win, a second and a third so far. He made up good ground for fifth over 2040m at Wanganui last Saturday. | Raymond Connors | |||
| 16 | Elle D'Berry | Scratched | |||||
| 17 | Beaudacea | 10 | Beaudacea (NZ) (Nom du Jeu) is only a one-race winner, but that one win was an impressive performance at this track - beating a talented Rating 65 field over 2600m in May of this year. | Paul Moseley | |||
| 18 | Razors Edge | 9 | Two-time winner Razors Edge (NZ) (Raise the Flag) has finished third or fourth in all of his last three appearances. | Tony Dravitzki |