Shaun Fannin is aiming to regain his place at the head of New Zealand's jumping riders' ranks, beginning with a weekend of feature wins to kick-start his season.
Fannin rides reigning champs The Big Opal and Ngario in the NZI Koral Steeples (4250m) and Racecourse Hotel & Motor Lodge SydenhamHurdles (3100m) respectively at Riccarton today before jetting off to Melbourne to partner Yardarm in the Crisp Steeplechase (3900m) at Sandown tomorrow.
The 21-year-old hoop landed his first jumps riders' premiership in the 2015-16 season with 27 wins, but had to settle for third last season with his 11 wins falling short of Aaron Kuru's 20 and Will Gordon's 13.
However, Fannin remains favourite to claim the champion jumps jockey title at next month's New Zealand Thoroughbred Racing Awards, having won the most prestige jumps races and ending the season as the highest stakes-earning jumps rider courtesy of his wins in the Pakuranga Hunt Cup and Great Northern Steeplechase, both on Kick Back, Grand National Hurdles (Ngario) and Waikato Steeplechase (The Big Opal).
"You always want to be at the top," Fannin said. "We had a flukish season the year before last when Kevin [Myers] had so much depth in his jumps team and they were all winning.
"We didn't quite have the same depth last season but hopefully that quality will be back this season. It's looking good at this stage anyway."
Mathew Gillies was aboard The Big Opal for his Koral Steeples win last year, but Fannin was more than happy to take the reins on the talented steeplechaser at Riccarton today.
