Fierce Flight (left) responds to a vigorous ride from jockey Michael McNab to get up and snatch a last-stride win over Pinion (centre) and Colorado Star in last Saturday’s $100,000 Power Farming Hawke’s Bay Cup. Photo / Supplied
Forty-five years after his father won the Hawke’s Bay Cup, the country’s leading jockey, Michael McNab, added his name to the race’s roll of honour when he steered Fierce Flight to victory in last Saturday’s $100,000 feature event at Hastings.
Michael is a son of Chris McNab, who was born in Hastings and started his apprenticeship from the stable of the then Hastings training partnership of Patrick Campbell and Bruce Marsh.
McNab senior went on to become one of the country’s leading jockeys during the late 1970s and early 1980s, kicking home the winners of most of the main races on the New Zealand racing calendar before increasing weight put a halt to his career in 1985.
Included among his Gr.1 victories were two Auckland Cups, on Stylemaster in 1978 and Drum in 1981, a New Zealand Derby on Jolly Jake in 1984, a New Zealand Stakes on Golden Rhapsody in 1982, and a Telegraph Handicap on Anderil in 1981.
He won the 1978 Hawke’s Bay Cup aboard Harp, a mare trained at Woodville by the late Eric Ropiha and bred and owned by the Fell family from Palmerston North.
On the day Harp won the Hawke’s Bay Cup, Chris McNab also took out the other feature that day, the Hawke’s Bay Challenge Stakes, on Silver Liner who was also trained by Ropiha and owned by the Fells.
Michael McNab had never even filled a minor placing in the time-honoured Hawke’s Bay Cup until he was legged aboard Fierce Flight in last Saturday’s 2200m feature.
Fierce Flight started a warm favourite, but it took an exceptional ride to get him home in what was one of the closest finishes to the race in recent years.
Less than a neck separated the first three home in the listed Power Farming Hawke’s Bay Cup, with race favourite Fierce Flight getting in the deciding stride by a nose over Pinion, with Colorado Star only a short neck back in third.
The Mark Walker-trained Fierce Flight brought impeccable form to the contest, having won two of his last five starts, and came into the race after a runner-up finish behind Ess Vee Are in the listed New Zealand St Leger (2600m).
McNab settled the son of Flying Artie in a comfortable position in midfield before tracking the well-fancied Pinion into the race from the 600m.
Colorado Star hit the front inside the last 300m, with Pinion the major challenger and Fierce Flight also starting to lodge a claim.
But just as Fierce Flight started to move up to challenge, he suddenly ducked inwards and McNab had to quickly straighten his course and get him back up to full momentum.
McNab admitted he had been more than a little concerned when the horse tried to duck sideways in the final stages.
“I had watched all the replays of his races, so I carried the stick in my left hand and he was flying and going straight but as soon as I switched it over, he has seen that and has tried to duck in and lost stride,” McNab said.
“I pulled it back through to the left, got him going again and he has managed to get up on the line.”
Purchased by Te Akau Racing boss David Ellis for $45,000 at the 2020 Karaka Ready to Run two-year-old sale, Fierce Flight has now won five of his 16 starts for owners the Te Akau Out Of Bounds Racing Partnership.
The cup victory gave Michael McNab the first leg of a winning double as he went on to guide the Tony Pike-trained He’s Beset to success in the last race on the card, and he is now well clear of second-placed Craig Grylls on the jockeys’ premiership.
Bragging rights between Michael McNab and his father Chris are almost on a par.
Michael, 27, has yet to win an Auckland Cup or a New Zealand Derby but he did win the 2019 Telegraph Handicap aboard Enzo’s Lad and this year’s Bonecrusher New Zealand Stakes on Prowess.
The younger McNab also boasts a Wellington Cup win on Magic Chai in 2018, while his father had to settle for a close third in the 1978 running of that race aboard Caruba.
Chris McNab embarked on a brief training career once he retired as a jockey and produced Moss Downs for two Gr.1 victories in 1997, the ARC Easter Handicap at Ellerslie and the Kelt Capital Stakes at Hastings. He is now travelling foreman for successful Cambridge trainer Tony Pike.
A mere nose separated Roger James and Robert Wellwood from a perfect result last Saturday on what was still a successful weekend for the Cambridge training duo.
James travelled south to Hastings with in-form stable runners Pinion and Avalene for the first Hawke’s Bay race meeting since the region was devastated by Cyclone Gabrielle in mid-February.
He was actually on a dual mission, with his intention also to confirm how the six-figure flood relief fund he and associates had raised would be allocated.
“We had done a lot of homework around various organisations aiding the people who had been so terribly affected by the cyclone,” James said.
“The most prominent one was the East Coast Rural Support Trust, and when I drove down into the Esk Valley and realised the scale of the devastation, I rang our four main contributors for their permission to allocate the full amount to the Rural Support Trust.
“We really wanted to see all the money raised go directly to those in need and when I explained all that to our key supporters, they were unanimous that the Rural Support Trust fitted our intentions.”
Hawke’s Bay Racing had played a major role in the immediate cyclone response, opening its facilities to the community and using the racecourse as a distribution point for donated goods.
As part of the return to racing on the Hastings track last Saturday, the club hosted a function involving the Rural Support Trust and volunteers as well as several families who had been directly affected by the cyclone.
“I was invited to the function and it gave me a huge amount of pleasure to announce on behalf of all of those involved at our end, that the $190,000 raised in donations would go into a trust bank account,” James said.
“I got a standing ovation and it was very emotional but I stressed to everyone that it wasn’t about me — it was about a whole lot of people from the racing industry who had got behind it.”
James and his inner group had been joined in the initiative by former Hawke’s Bay identity Tony Rider, now a Hamilton supermarket franchise holder, who organised the collation and transport of essential grocery items.
“As well as the $190,000, in the first week after the cyclone we were also able to purchase more than $100,000 worth of supermarket essentials for first-response delivery.
“That says a lot about who we are as an industry, which really is something to be proud of.”
Out on the racetrack last Saturday, James saddled up the promising staying mare Avalene for the third win in her last four starts in the rating 75 Vintech Poverty Bay Cup (2500m), and fellow four-year-old Pinion for the closest of seconds in the listed Power Farming Hawke’s Bay Cup (2200m).
The Hawke’s Bay Thoroughbred Breeders’ Association and the Racehorse Owners Association will stage their combined members’ race day at the Hastings track next Saturday.
The Karamu Lodge has been set aside for the on-course function and will be available from 11.30am.
There will be a $10 surcharge a head for members and their partners, and a meal charge of $43 a head for additional guests. There will also be a members’ draw before each race.
Pre-race day bookings are essential because entry will not be accepted on the day.
Members are asked to RSVP, with payment, to tracy@codenz.com by April 24.
At this stage there are eight races scheduled for next Saturday’s Hawke’s Bay meeting, with the first timed for 12.20pm. There will be free general admission.
New Plymouth trainer Janelle and red-hot Hawke’s Bay jockey Kate Hercock combined with underrated mare Pure Incanto to take out the listed $65,000 Power Turf Sprint (1200m) at Hastings last Saturday.
The six-year-old daughter of Per Incanto had finished fourth in a blanket finish to the listed Lightning Handicap (1200m) at Trentham at her last start and more than made amends with a courageous performance.
Hercock, who rode four winners at Woodville on Easter Monday, had Pure Incanto stalking pacemaker La Bella Beals throughout before making her challenge rounding the home corner.
Pure Incanto drove to the lead at the 200m and, despite being hotly challenged by race favourite Not Guilty and the late-finishing Nod Of The Head, she refused to yield as she clung to a half-length margin and the victory.
Millar had been confident of a good run from her charge, who has managed to find bad luck in several of her 14 career starts so far.
Heavy rain could also plague the Hawke's Bay and Gisborne on Tuesday.