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| The connections of King Of Ashford... Karen Zimmerman, Tim Fowler, Gerry Arber. |
25 Apr 2006 |
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| Photo courtesy of Race Images, P/North. |
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 King Rules In Hawkes Bay Cup And Cements Sandown Classic Plans...
Otaki trainer Karen Zimmerman has some unfinished business in Melbourne next spring with Saturday's Gr. 2 $100,000 Davmet Hawke's Bay Cup (2200m) winner King Of Ashford (NZ) (His Royal Highness x Zena's Wish by Super Gray).
Zimmerman is setting King Of Ashford for a start in the Group 2 $A500,000 Sandown Classic (2400m) at Sandown in November, a race she believes she should have won five years ago with Cinder Bella (NZ) (Victory Dance x Lucky Jewel).
"She (Cinder Bella) finished third to Sky Heights and King Keitel but was very unlucky not to win the race," Zimmerman said.
"She lost her position in the race at a crucial stage which put her on the backfoot. She made up a lot of ground late and was dead stiff not to win," she said.
It is Zimmerman's past experience of the Sandown course which makes her believe that King Of Ashford is going to be an ideal candidate for the Sandown Classic.
"He will enjoy the big long straight at Sandown and also the type of grass which provides a nice cushion surface," Zimmerman said. "He doesn't like hard ground."
Zimmerman has always held King Of Ashford in the highest regard and wasn't at all surprised with his win in Saturday's race. "I had a lot of confidence going into the race that he would run well," she said.
Zimmerman had recorded a third placing in the Hawke's Bay Cup last year with Lord Asterix (NZ) (Bahhare x Lady Fergie).
Zimmerman said Saturday's Hawke's Bay Cup win gave her a lot of personal satisfaction as she not only trains King Of Ashford but also co-owns the five-year-old with long-time stable client Gerry Arber.
"Gerry has had horses with me from when I first started training and he's become a great friend," she said.
Palmerston North-based Arber, who bred King Of Ashford, said the Hawke's Bay Cup win was his most important win in racing.
Arber was gifted King Of Ashford's dam, Zena's Wish, in 1985 by a close friend Tim Fowler who was on course at Hastings to witness the win. "I met Tim 50 years ago and he's always been like a second father to me so it was a big thrill to have him at the course," Arber said.
'From Zena's Wish I have bred a lot of good 'bread and butter' horses,' he said. 'I've had a lot of thrills and a great deal of fun from the family over the years.'
The Hawke's Bay Cup represented the 50th win from the progeny of Zena's Wish.
Other smart performers from Zena's Wish have included Govicar (NZ) (Pat's Victory x Zena's Wish), who won nine races including the Listed Wanganui Cup, and Paddy's Wish (NZ) (Pat's Victory x Zena's Wish), a winner of eight races.
Arber gave Zena's Wish, (now 23 years old) away a couple of years ago and she is now retired from breeding.
Arber, who is a regional sales manager for Tegel Foods (poultry), is no longer breeding horses but retains his interest in racing as an owner, by having an interest in 10 horses in the Otaki stable of Karen Zimmerman.
King Of Ashford, who has now won nine races and $210,567 in stakes, is the last remaining progeny still racing, though the family line will continue through five daughters of Zena's Wish.
King Of Ashford will now go out for a six-week spell before coming back in the spring for a Melbourne campaign.
Zimmerman has ruled out the weight-for-age series at Hastings as she said the track would likely be too firm, but she would be looking to give the horse a couple of runs in New Zealand before heading to Melbourne.
King Of Ashford won the race by 2 ¾ lengths from the gallant pacemaker Gorgeous George (NZ) (Turtle Island x Red Briar) while favourite Kerry O'Reilly (NZ) (O'Reilly x Pegarah) finished on strongly for third place after not seeing daylight until the final stages.
The results for the Gr. 2 $100,000 Davmet Hawke's Bay Cup (2200m) Place Horse Breeder Trainer Owner
1st King Of Ashford (NZ) (His Royal Highness x Zena's Wish by Super Gray) G B Arber Karen Zimmerman G B Arber & Mrs K A Zimmerman
2nd Gorgeous George (NZ) (Turtle Island x Red Briar by Amalgam) Mrs J E & J R Coltman & T A D McFadden Frank Ritchie Mrs C E Burns, Mrs J E & J R Coltman, T A D McFadden, S J Penney, Miss H L & Miss J H Volz
3rd Kerry O'Reilly (NZ) (O'Reilly x Pegarah by Grosvenor) G H Klippel, G G Rice & E M Tynan Jim Gibbs G H Klippel, G G Rice & E M Tynan
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