Mick on Monday: Jumps racing future in New Zealand comes under the microscope

Ima Wonder bolted away with the Pakuranga Hunt Cup on Saturday. Photo / Race Images

The storied past and potential future of New Zealand jumps racing came together as Ima Wonder bolted away with the Pakuranga Hunt Cup on Saturday.

The 9-year-old mare was bred and is raced by the matriarch of New Zealand jumps racing, Ann Browne, wearing the colours made famous by her late husband Ken.

Ima Wonder is out of their mare Ima Heroine, who won the Pakuranga Hunt Cup and Great Northern Steeplechase double in 2011, but the Brownes ruled jumps racing for decades before that, so watching Saturday’s victory felt like a trip back in time.

But it wasn’t just about the past as Ima Wonder is trained by Peter and Jess Brosnan, the latter one of the most vocal advocates for jumps racing to continue in New Zealand after its future has come up the microscope.

New Zealand Thoroughbred Racing (NZTR) has asked anybody who cares, from industry participants to punters, to make submissions on whether jumps racing should have a future here and, if so, how to make it more commercial and sustainable.

Submissions close on September 6 and NZTR had already received over 60 last week so expect the total submissions to top 100.

“We urge people to write in and have their say,” says Jess Brosnan.

“We have been reminding people all the time, not just owners and trainers but all sorts of people in the industry.

“When you see a magic moment like that, a horse wearing the Browne colours winning a major race, it reminds you how wonderful jumps racing can be.”

While the September 6 date looms large for the jumping sector, so too does September 15 when Ima Wonder will return to Te Rapa for the Great Northern and the significantly tougher job of rolling jumping superstar West Coast.

“We will have her and Auld Jock in the race and to train a horse for Mrs Brown in those colours and win a Pakuranga Hunt Cup, it is a real privilege,” says Jess Brosnan.

The win was the highlight of a huge weekend for the extended Brosnan family as Peter and Jess also trained Jamaka Krystal to win a steeplechase at Hāwera on Sunday while Peter’s brother Mark prepared Diamond Jak to win the $50,000 staying handicap at Te Rapa on Saturday.

Kiwis in Everest clash

Two of the biggest players in New Zealand racing now have the two favourites for the A$20 million ($21.8m) Everest in Sydney.

But only one of them is certain to head down that path.

Joliestar, owned by Cambridge Stud’s Brendan and Jo Lindsay, surged up the Everest markets to second-favouritism with a sensational fresh-up win at Randwick on Saturday.

But while she is certain to attract interest from Everest slot holders, trainer Chris Waller is still not convinced the 1200m of the mega sprint is Joliestar’s best distance, even though she has won both her starts over that trip at Randwick.

Waller would need to keep Joliestar on the fresh side to win one of the world’s great sprints on October 19, but he gave himself that option with Saturday’s win as it should ensure Joliestar gets a slot if her connections want.

She does, however, have the option of the A$10m Golden Eagle at Rosehill two weeks later over the possibly more suitable 1500m distance.

The other major powerhouse of New Zealand breeding in Waikato Stud looks certain to have I Wish I Win in the Everest as it is his main goal and he will again race in the Trackside slot and holds favouritism for the race he finished second in last year.