The fact that Kuru was able to remount Des De Jeu in a blink of an eye was unbelievable and then to continue on to win the race was one of the most outstanding performances seen in a jumps race for a long time. Video coverage of the incident has since gone viral on social media in New Zealand and overseas, earning a humble Kuru a folklore following.
"It's just one of those things that just happened," Kuru said.
"It was his first go over the bigger fences and I think he was probably a bit fresh and he's just jumped the fence a bit big and we've landed a bit steep.
"Looking at the replay, my mount went down and as he stopped sliding he was coming back up on to his feet and I did exactly the same and got back on.
"The horse felt 100 per cent. I would have been the first jockey to pull him up if he didn't feel sound. I'm only a small factor in the win, the horse was out there running and jumping and it's all credit to him. He was amazing."
A modest Kuru, who was last year's New Zealand Champion jumps jockey, avoided the media until Monday as he switched off his phone to go on a hunt in the Rangitikei on Sunday.
"I'm just out there to do my job," he said, when finally contacted.
"I'm happy with the win, but I know all this [media attention] comes with racing. But I basically just switched my phone off."
Kuru said it was not until his partner was driving him back to their Cambridge base on Sunday evening that he finally started answering the phone and replying to messages.
"My phone went flat a couple of times because there had been a lot of notifications and emails, it's been crazy."
Des De Jeu is one of only a few horses Kuru has ridden for Awapuni trainer Mark Oulaghan and said it was one of the highlights of his riding career to date.
"I haven't had many rides for Mark Oulaghan and we all know what he's done as a trainer. It would definitely have to be up there with one of the nicest wins I have had."
Kuru, 26, began his riding career from the Hastings stable of Patrick Campbell before transferring to fellow Hastings trainer John Bary.
At that stage he was only an amateur jockey but was also a valuable member of the New Zealand Black Sox softball team.
I asked him back then whether he wanted to pursue a career as a jockey or follow his sporting passion in softball and his reply was: "I think I'll be a jockey because there is more money in it."
Kuru has now ridden 75 winners from 468 race-rides and his mounts have earned more than $1.2 million in stakemoney.
Des de Jeu was the middle leg of a treble of wins Kuru brought up last week. The first was aboard the Hastings-trained Peso at Whanganui on the Thursday and, following Des de Jeu's incredible win, he managed to maintain his composure to take out the $50,000 Awapuni Hurdles two races later on Iffitel.
Peso was one of two horses Hastings trainer Paul Nelson lined up in the Rating 75 highweight at Whanganui, the other being No Change who finished fourth.
Kuru rode a copybook race on Peso, jumping the horse out quickly from the 1600m barrier to take an early lead before settling him into a perfect trail once No Change went to the front. He then took control again just before the home turn and always had a winning advantage over his rivals in the home straight, crossing the line 2-1/2 lengths clear.
Peso was recording his fourth win from 20 starts and was coming off a last start fifth in last month's Group 3 Rotorua Cup (2200m). The 6-year-old Colombia gelding is raced by Paul Nelson and his wife Carol and is now likely to back up in a $25,000 Rating 75 race over 2100m at Tauranga tomorrow.
Miss Wilson at peak for tomorrow
Hastings trainer John Bary says his top mare Miss Wilson is in great order going into tomorrow's Group One $A500,000 Tattersall's Tiara in Brisbane.
"She's done well since she's been here and her condition and weight is top notch," Bary said from Brisbane this week. "I'm really happy with her."
Bary sent the horse across the Tasman a fortnight ago and she cruised to a six-length win in a 1000m trial at Eagle Farm on June 12.
He said she wouldn't have blown a candle out after the trial so he is pleased with the mare's fitness, despite her not having raced since winning the Group One New Zealand Thoroughbred Breeders Stakes (1600m) at Te Aroha two months ago.
Miss Wilson has drawn barrier 10 in tomorrow's 1350m weight-for-age event but is likely to come into barrier eight as two emergencies for the race have drawn inside her. New Zealand jockey Vinnie Colgan rode the mare to her last start victory and will again be aboard tomorrow.
Bary said Miss Wilson should be suited by the distance of tomorrow's race, the weight-for-age conditions and the Doomben track. She is also likely to strike a good racing surface and Bary believes she performs at her best on reasonably firm footing.
"I think her pet distance is about 1400 and Doomben is a front-runner's track and she likes to race close to the pace."
Miss Wilson is owned by Havelock North couple Richard and Liz Wood and is a half-sister to their former outstanding galloper Jimmy Choux. She is the winner of seven races from only 25 starts, with her other major wins being in the Group Three Cuddle Stakes (1600m) at Trentham and Group Three Red Badge Spring Sprint (1400m) at Hastings.
Hastings races next week
Two of the most prestigious jumping races on the New Zealand calendar, the $50,000 Simon's 50th Birthday Hawke's Bay Steeplechase and $50,000 Te Whangai Romneys Hawke's Bay Hurdle, will be the features at the next Hastings race meeting, on Saturday, June 30.
They are among at least nine races programmed for the Hawke's Bay Hunt raceday, with the first race timed for 11.35am and the last at about 4.15pm. There will also be a maiden steeplechase and a maiden hurdle event.
The gates will open at 10.30am and there will be a $10 admission charge, with those under 18 free.
HB weanling walk
The Hawke's Bay Thoroughbred Breeders Association will stage its annual weanling walk on Sunday, July 1, the day after the Hawke's Bay Hunt raceday at Hastings.
It will commence at 10am sharp at Guy and Bridget Lowry's property at 305 Kawera Rd, Okawa, and then progress to four others.
The first of these will be Chris Russell's property at 793 Valley Rd (off Highway 50), followed by Mike Newrick's lifestyle block at 51 Turamoe Rd, Paki Paki, Gary and Raewyn Quinn's property at 912 Middle Rd, and finishing at John Bary's racing stables at 55 Mutiny Rd.
Among the weanlings on display will be those by the successful stallions Shamexpress, Pour Moi, Darci Brahma, Pins, Swiss Ace, Super Easy, Rock 'N' Pop, Makfi, Reliable Man, Pentire, Per Incanto, Iffraaj and Niagara as well as new-season sire Mongolian Khan.
At the completion of the weanling walk there will be a luncheon at 12.30pm at Off The Track Restaurant at 114 Havelock Rd. The cost of the luncheon is $40/head but Haunui Farm Stud will be subsidising this by 50 per cent.
For catering purposes, reservations are required for the luncheon and can be made by contacting Sharyn Craig at 027 499 9084 or Isabell Roddick at 06 879 8662. Or email: mike.sharyn@xtra.co.nz
Magnum to target HB races
Autumn stakes winner Magnum is being put through his early paces following a let-up.
The New Zealand-bred son of Per Incanto, part-owned by Havelock North's Jason Fleming, returned to his homeland after four wins in Singapore and didn't take long to make an impact, winning the Listed Flying Handicap (1400m) at Awapuni in March.
"He's back in work and building up slowly," trainer Lauren Brennan said. "We'd like to get him to Hawke's Bay for the first couple of races in the spring series."
She was referring to the Group One Makfi Challenge Stakes (1400m) and the Group One Windsor Park Plate (1600m).
