Fierce Flight takes Hawke’s Bay Cup in desperate finish

[Wandering Eyes]

Less than a neck separated the first three home in Saturday’s Listed Power Farming Hawke’s Bay Cup (2200m), with race favourite Fierce Flight getting in the deciding stride to take out the feature event on the day at Hastings.

The Mark Walker-trained four-year-old brought impeccable form to the contest, having won two of his last five stars and came into the race off the back of a runner-up finish behind Ess Vee Are in the Listed New Zealand St Leger (2600m).

Rider Michael McNab settled the son of Flying Artie in a comfortable position in midfield before tracking the well fancied Pinion into the race at the 600m.

Colorado Star hit the front at the 250m, with Pinion and Fierce Flight chasing hard, before McNab lifted his mount in the final few strides to down Pinion by a nose with a head back to Colorado Star in third.

Te Akau Racing manager Reece Trumper was quick to praise the development of Fierce Flight who won his first race back in February last year and has now collected his first black-type victory at just his 16^th start.

“He’s come a long way this season and full credit to all the staff at home as they have really worked hard in the last few weeks where we have had a bit of a shortage of staff,” Trumper said.

“Getting a result like this is just great for everyone.

“I don’t think he is the furnished product yet, which I think you can see and he means a lot to me as he is one of my favourite horses.

“This also means a lot as my father was brought up in the Hawke’s Bay, my grandparents pre-trained him for a few months, so this horse has a huge following in our family.”

McNab admitted he had been a little concerned in the run home when the horse tried to duck sideways.

“I just said to Reece that I had watched all his replays, so I carried the stick in my left-hand and he was flying going straight and 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, got him going again and he has got up on the line.

“He has come from a rating 60 to a Hawke’s Bay Cup winner and been really good through those runs.”

Purchased by Te Akau Racing boss David Ellis for $45,000 from the Kilgravin Lodge draft during the 2020 New Zealand Bloodstock Ready To Run Sale at Karaka, Fierce Flight is out of the stakes placed Dylan Thomas mare, First Bloom.

He has now won five of his 16 starts for owners, the Te Akau Out Of Bounds Racing Partnership and over $128,000 in prizemoney.

The victory gave 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.

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