Class Hastings-trained jumper Nedwin certainly proved that age is no barrier when the 11-year-old produced a gutsy performance to take out last Saturday’s $75,000 Signature Homes Waikato Steeplechase at Te Rapa.
The Niagara gelding, prepared by the partnership of Paul Nelson and Corrina McDougal, is on the verge of forced retirement because of his age and yet he showed tremendous tenacity and a great will to win to take out the 3900m feature.
Under a newly instigated New Zealand Thoroughbred Racing rule, no horse is allowed to race beyond the year that they turn 12 years of age.
That means that Nedwin, one of this country’s most successful jumpers in recent years, will not be allowed to compete in races after December 31 this year.
The new rule has infuriated Paul Nelson as it has also meant that another top jumper from his stable, Suliman, has already been forced into retirement despite being prepared for another winter jumping preparation.
Suliman won last year’s Grand National Hurdle (4200m) at Riccarton as a 12-year-old but has now been barred from racing in New Zealand again.
Nelson said this week that he, along with a group of others, are considering taking legal action against NZTR citing a number of untruths in their reasoning for enforcing the rule.
“We are not going to get it changed for this year but we are looking at getting a lawyer involved,” Nelson said.
“The letter that was sent out by Mitch Lamb (NZTR General Manager of Racing) wasn’t correct.”
Nedwin looked likely to only run second when entering the home straight in last Saturday’s Waikato Steeplechase as, at that stage, he was several lengths behind the front running Leaderboard and under pressure to improve.
He was still three lengths adrift coming to the last fence but, such is the toughness that Nelson and McDougal instil in their jumpers, he was able to get a second wind and charged after Leaderboard to get up to snatch a nose victory on the line.
Smug also made a late charge for victory and was only a head away in third place in what was an exciting three-horse finish.
Nedwin’s success was well deserved after he finished third in the same race last year and followed that up with a third in the Grand National Steeplechase at Riccarton before falling, when in in the lead, with 1000m to run in the Great Northern Steeplechase at Te Rapa.
Paul Nelson was both proud and pleasantly surprised by the way Nedwin was able to fight back and win last Saturday, after looking beaten, saying that the horse was a run short after missing a start when the Trentham meeting on June 6 was abandoned because of surface water on the racetrack.
“That’s very satisfying and it shows you how tough he is and how unlucky he was in the Northern last year when he fell,” Nelson said.
“I couldn’t believe he was there today, doing what he did as he has been a race behind them all the way through.
“If he can improve on that then we will be very happy.”
Nelson said Nedwin is now likely to head to Trentham on June 27 for the $100,000 Wellington Steeplechase (4900m), with the Grand National Steeplechase (5600m) at Riccarton in August also being considered.
Nelson and his wife Carol race Nedwin in partnership with Gisborne couple Mick and Suz Gardner and the gelding has now won 16 races from 51 starts and has amassed stake earnings of more than $534,000.
Last Saturday’s Waikato Steeplechase was marred by the heavy fall of race favourite West Coast with 800m to run and a sombre mood prevailed in the aftermath with the announcement that the champion jumper had been humanely euthanised after fracturing a shoulder. His rider Joshua Parker suffered a suspected broken collarbone.
It was a sad end to West Coast’s extraordinary career, with the Mark Oulaghan-trained gelding capturing the imagination of racing fans with his unmatched jumping ability and trademark strong finishes.
West Coast won a total of 13 races, including a record three editions of the Grand National Steeplechase (5600m), two editions of the Great Northern Steeplechase (6500m), a Wellington Steeplechase (5500m) and a Hawke’s Bay Steeplechase (4800m).
His deeds on the track secured him the New Zealand Champion Jumper crown for three consecutive seasons, with his stake earnings totalling more than $641,000.
The Belvoir fulfilling his early promise
Dannevirke owner-trainer Barry Beatson experienced the highs and lows of racing at last Saturday’s Waikato meeting at Te Rapa.
Beatson saddled up The Belvoir to score a dominant eight length win in the $20,000 maiden hurdle race over 2900m but his other runner at the meeting, Countryman, suffered a serious injury during the running of the Waikato Steeplechase (3900m) which will put him out of action for the rest of the winter.
Beatson was delighted The Belvoir was finally able to show a glimpse of the potential he has always had when chalking up his second win from 40 starts.
He paid $6000 for the Australian-bred gelding at the 2018 Karaka yearling sales, drawn to him because he was by Poet’s Voice, the sire of another horse he owned that had an abundance of speed and was on-sold to Hong Kong.
Beatson said this week The Belvoir, whose name is pronounced ‘The Beaver’ showed plenty of talent from time he first came into work but is a horse that has been plagued by bad luck, injuries and illness.
“He started favourite in his first race but got blocked in the running and couldn’t get out until too late, finishing fourth,” Beatson said.
“Since then he’s had two viruses, one of them that was almost fatal and went right through my stable,” Beatson said.
“He’s also had two major muscle injuries in his back, the first after he went through a fence in his paddock and the second when he hurt himself jumping out of the barrier.
“He’s also had to overcome wide barrier draws in just about flat race he has had, which doesn’t help.”
The Belvoir recorded his first win in a 1600m maiden race at Hastings in November 2022 and has also recorded seven minor placings besides his two victories.
Beatson gave the now nine-year-old nine hurdle starts last year but said the horse’s inexperience cost him several times. He fell in one race, lost his rider in another, and was pulled up on another occasion
However he has come back this year a much more accomplished jumper, finishing second in a maiden hurdle over 3100m at Te Aroha on June 1 before his commanding win last Saturday.
English jumps jockey Will Featherstone has been aboard The Belvoir in each of his two hurdle starts this winter. The horse midfield in the early stages of last Saturday’s race before jumping his way into third place starting the last 800 metres.
He quickly closed in on the leading pair of Goosebumps and Titled coming to the home turn and took over jumping the third last fence. He then negotiated the last two jumps in good style before racing clear on the flat for a big win.
Beatson said he won’t be rushing The Belvoir into the major hurdle races this winter as he feels still has a fair bit to learn.
“There is a 0-1 win hurdle race at Te Aroha at the beginning of next month that he can go to and we will see where he goes after that,” Beatson said.
“He’s also got his steeplechase ticket so we could look at that later on.”
First success for promising apprentice
Apprentice jockey Tom Wigram is still on cloud nine after kicking home his first winner at New Plymouth on Friday of last week.
He scored the win aboard Bridie for local trainer Allan Sharrock in the Naki Plumbing And Gas (1600m). It was Wigram’s first ride of the day at the annual Platinum Homes Taranaki Apprentice Raceday, which was unfortunately abandoned following the starting gates malfunctioning at the start of race four.
Wigram’s first win comes less than a week after his debut ride at Ellerslie the previous Saturday, and he was delighted to get on the board so early in his career.
“I am really rapt, it’s great to get my first win,” Wigram said. “I didn’t expect it to come this early, but it did and it was awesome.”
The 16-year-old has been riding his entire life, but it was experiencing the thrill of competing in the LOVERACING.NZ Pony Scurry Series, run by Waipukurau’s Kirsty Lawrence, that lit a fuse to pursue a career as a jockey.
“From when I was about five I rode ponies and every weekend we went show jumping,” Wigram said. “I wasn’t hugely successful, but I loved horses and the thrill of going fast and jumping.
“I saw the pony scurries come up and I thought ‘what better way to get into it (racing).
“The pony scurries are a very good initiative, it was very popular and it still is. It was a good introduction to racing.”
Wigram naturally progressed to riding trackwork before he started to work for Byerley Park trainer Donna Logan last year to pursue his apprenticeship.
“I used to go down to Cambridge during the school holidays to ride trackwork,” Wigram said. “I rode a lot for Shaun Phelan and he has been super helpful, and Elen Nicholas (fellow apprentice jockey) has been great.
“My friend’s mother used to work for Donna years ago and when I was looking for somewhere to go she put me onto her and it has all gone from there.”
Wigram’s first win came at just his third ride, and he said he has already learnt a lot from each experience.
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