Champion Hawke’s Bay jumper The Cossack is ready to take on the big fences again at Te Rapa this Saturday.
John Jenkins is a longtime racing journalist based in Hawke’s Bay.
Champion Hawke’s Bay jumper The Cossack kicks off another campaign over fences at Te Rapa this Saturday when he attempts to win the $75,000 Waikato Steeplechase for the third year in a row.
The 11-year-old Mastercraftsman gelding, trained at Hastings by Paul Nelson and Corrina McDougal, had his last start over fences when winning the Wellington Steeplechase (5500m) at Trentham in July last year.
His racing future was then put in doubt after he suffered a suspensory ligament injury but Nelson said this week that, following months of rehabilitation, he is confident the horse is ready to show his jumping prowess again.
“He was box-rested for two months and then given plenty of walking. He also spent two months on a flat paddock before undergoing a lot of work on a water-walker,” Nelson said.
The Cossack has had two races on the flat and several jumpouts in recent months to help fit him for this Saturday’s 3900m event.
“His first flat run was just an easy one but the second one was really pleasing and he’s done a lot of work to hopefully get him ready,” Nelson said.
The tough gelding carried topweight of 73kg to win last year’s Waikato Steeplechase by three-quarters of a length but was a much more convincing 7-3/4 length winner of the race in 2023, when carrying 68.5kg.
He again has 73kg on his back this time, which is now the maximum weight horses have to carry in New Zealand jumping races.
“That’s the most he can carry but what happens is that every other horse in the race now gets in on the minimum and that makes it tough,” Nelson added.
The Te Rapa track has been happy hunting ground for The Cossack as six of his jumping wins have been recorded on the course.
Besides his two Waikato Steeplechase triumphs, the horse also won the Waikato Hurdles (3200m) in 2021, the Ken & Roger Browne Steeplechase (3900m) in both 2022 and 2023 and the Pakuranga Hunt Cup (4800m) in 2023.
Paul Nelson owns The Cossack in partnership with three other Hawke’s Bay men: Peter and Doug Grieve and John Frizzell. They purchased him from his Hawke’s Bay breeder, Ivan Grieve, after he had been the winner of two races on the flat from the Hastings stable of John Bary.
The Cossack has since gone on to win another 17 races from his 62 starts and has amassed more than $691,0000 in stakemoney.
Palmerston North jockey Matthew Gillies will have his first race-ride on The Cossack this weekend. The 39-year-old made a return to race-riding last month after spending several years on the sidelines and was quickly back a winner, steering the Nelson and McDougal-trained Nedwin to take the feature steeplechase at Wanganui on May 24.
Nedwin will be one of The Cossack’s seven rivals in this Saturday’s Waikato Steeplechase and must also rate a top chance at the weights after his decisive last start win.
The Niagara 10-year-old carried the minimum weight of 66kg when winning at Wanganui and has the same weight again.
“The weight system makes it good for a horse like Nedwin but The Cossack would probably still be a bit too good for him at the moment,” Nelson added.
The Nelson/McDougal stable will also have a two-pronged attack on the other feature jumping race at Te Rapa this Saturday, the $60,000 Waikato Hurdles.
Taika, an Impressive last start winner over hurdles at Te Rapa, will carry topweight of 71.5kg in the 3200m event while stablemate Dictation is coming off a last start third on the same track and is on the minimum weight of 66kg.
Nelson said both horses have trained well and he is happy with their progress although he is concerned Taika has gone up so quickly in the weights.
Vale Herb Rauhihi
Former jockey Herbie Rauhihi, who was revered by many young hoops in the Central Districts, has died aged 86.
One of those impressionable young riders was Noel Harris, who would go on to become one of New Zealand’s most decorated jockeys.
Harris looked up to Rauhihi from the outset of his riding career and he said Rauhihi made a big impression on him in his formative years in the saddle.
“He was a champion guy,” Harris said.
“He rode for my Dad as well as Eric Ropiha and all the good trainers around Woodville.
“He was a great person to follow through a race, he taught me so much. He was my idol, and he was so patient.
“Without even asking, he would come over and put me in the right direction when I started riding. He was just a lovely jockey and just a gentleman.”
While Rauhihi was a great mentor to young riders, he had plenty of success in the saddle himself, even rubbing shoulders with royalty. He met Queen Elizabeth II in 1970 following his victory aboard Every Post in the Captain James Cook Handicap at Trentham.
“Young Ida was a top horse he rode for Eric Temperton. He won races on her in New Zealand and Australia,” Harris said.
“He even rode over fences, he was adaptable.”
Rauhihi also rode in Australia’s most coveted race, the Group 1 Melbourne Cup (3200m), on several occasions, with his best result being a third in the 1968 edition aboard Fans.
Harris said Rauhihi was a likeable character and can recall a plethora of humorous anecdotes about the talented horseman.
“I remember him going to the races one day at Hawera and it was raining,” Harris said. “There weren’t declared riders back then, so he turned around and went to a double feature Western at the movies instead.”
Rauhihi had a great love for the horse and riding, a passion he would continue well past his retirement as a jockey.
“Even when he gave up race riding, he was still riding trackwork in Foxton,” Harris said. “Most people when they give up riding, that was it, but not Herbie.
“He was a legend to me.”
Moodley bags four at Taranaki
It was a sense of déjà vu for Triston Moodley as he took out the apprentice-only day at New Plymouth on Tuesday after riding four winners for local trainer Robbie Patterson.
The northern hoop won the contest last year when piloting five winners, and he was delighted to repeat the feat this year.
“You don’t always get days like that, and I was very happy to be able to win it again,” he said. “I love riding at Taranaki, it is a lovely course. It is a quirky course and I seem to do pretty well on it.”
The meeting, which was postponed from last Thursday as a result of track conditions, wasn’t without its struggles, with Moodley and fellow Auckland apprentice Ace Lawson-Carroll having to travel to Taranaki by road after their flights had been cancelled.
“It was a bit of a hectic start to the morning with all of the flights being cancelled due to fog, so I jumped in my car with Ace and drove down,” Moodley said. “We missed the first race, but I am glad we made it down there and it panned out the way it did.
“I thought I had a good book of rides, but I didn’t think I would ride four [winners]. I am grateful to Mr Patterson and for all of the trainers for supporting me.”
Moodley’s quartet of wins has brought his season tally to 45 victories, five more than last year. The 23-year-old has been rapt with the way the season has gone, highlighted by his first stakes win aboard Spencer in the Group 3 Spring Sprint (1400m) at Te Rapa last October.
“My goal for the season was to do better than last season, so I have hit that goal and I am very happy with that,” he said.
“Throughout the season I have been getting support from all these big trainers like Mr Marsh, Mr Patterson and Mr Sharrock. I am grateful to every single one of them.”
Robbie Laing dies suddenly
The Australian racing industry has been saddened by the sudden death of Group 1 trainer Robbie Laing, aged 67.
Laing, a five-time Group 1-winner including Victoria Derby and Australian Cup triumphs, died in his sleep last Sunday.
Laing was at Flemington the previous day where he saddled up El Soleado who finished second. The Cranbourne-based trainer prepared more than 1000 winners during his career including the 2013 Victoria Derby winner Polanski.
Laing, a natural horseman, also saddled a swag of feature jumps winners including champion gallopers Mazzacano and Sir Pentire.
Laing returned to Victorian training ranks two years ago after a forced hiatus due to financial hardships and enjoyed solid success with a small team.
Australian Trainers’ Association president Robbie Griffiths paid tribute to Laing.
“He was an outstanding trainer who always thought outside the square, producing some incredible feats including winning the Grand Annual over 5500 metres first-up from a spell with Sir Pentire,” Griffiths said.
“Robbie would win the first two-year-old race of the season and everything in between.“
He mastered beach training long before the modern trend and had an incredible eye for value purchasing VRC Derby winner Polanski for only $4000.
Racing Victoria chief executive Aaron Morrison said Laing’s loss would be felt industry-wide.
“Robbie was an astute horseman who was widely respected for his training craft in particular his ability with stayers and jumpers, often turning cheap purchases into feature race winners,” Morrison said.
Laing is survived by eight children, including sons Jack and Aaron, who have both followed their father into Victoria’s training ranks.