Fannin hoping Opal can sparkle in Hunt Cup
Shaun Fannin reckons he’s timing his run perfectly on The Big Opal.
The Wanganui jumps jockey will team up with the Kevin Myers-trained Storm Creek gelding in Saturday’s Bridges Insurance Services Pakuranga Hunt Cup (5200m), which has belatedly been transferred to Te Aroha with Te Rapa not fit for racing.
It will be Fannin’s first ride on The Big Opal since they finished fifth in the Waikato Steeples (3900m) at Te Rapa in May, unable to replicate their win in the same race in 2017.
Fannin feels The Big Opal is ready to claim another feature after several strong performances leading into Saturday’s race, including a win in the McGregor Grant Steeples (4000m) at Trentham in June and third placings at his last two starts.
“It was an encouraging run last Sunday over the hurdles for a close third and that should have topped him off perfectly for this weekend,” Fannin said.
“It looks an open race – there’s no standout anyway. He’s probably the class horse in the field. He should be right there in the running to have a shot at them, so we’d like to think he’ll go close.”
The Big Opal has won seven of his 15 steeplechase starts but after failing in the Grand National Steeples (5600m) at Riccarton for the past two years, Myers purposely bypassed that race this month in order to have his charge peaking for the Pakuranga Hunt Cup and ideally, if he races well this weekend, the Irvines Great Northern Steeplechase (6400m) on September 9.
“He took a bit longer to come up this year but he won the McGregor Grant well and after those last two races, we think he’s somewhere near his best now,” Fannin said.
Bookmakers installed The Big Opal as a $3.80 joint favourite for the Pakuranga Hunt Cup with Perry Mason and success would be a fitting tonic for Myers, whose brother Patrick died earlier in the week. Fannin has five rides on Saturday, with the Mark Brooks-trained El Disparo his mount in the feature hurdle, the Corson Maize Hurdle (3100m).
“He won his maiden hurdle at Hastings and was quite impressive doing it. I rode him last year in two starts in Australia when he ran second to Chequered Flag and then things went wrong in the second one,” Fannin said.
“He jumps well and he went a good race on the flat last start, so that should have him right for this one.” Fannin’s other rides are Kiddo in the maiden steeplechase (3500m) and El Luchador and Wilijonmcbride in the two maiden hurdle races.
“El Luchador won a Kiwifruit Cup and a Parliamentary so he’s got strong flat form leading into this and I’m looking forward to riding him,” Fannin said.
“Kiddo is coming out of a [Grand] National Hurdles into a maiden steeplechase and I’ve been waiting for this. He just can’t quicken in those hurdles races now but the slower pace of steeplechases should suit him down to the ground.”