The Frac Club’s partnership with trainers Shaun and Hazel Fannin is off to a stellar start through rising steeplechase star Jesko, and up-and-comer Fourty Eight will attempt to add to that run in Sunday’s Cody Singer Memorial (4000m) at Woodville.
The Frac Club is an emerging micro-share syndicator that rose to prominence earlier this year through the deeds of three-year-old filly Zormella, who won two of her five starts and was runner-up in the Gr.3 Championship Stakes (2100m).
The group has extended its reach into the winter months by purchasing shares in Jesko and Fourty Eight. Jesko has carried the Frac Club’s old gold colours to impressive victories in the Wellington Steeplechase (4800m) and Manawatu Steeplechase (4000m), and he is now firmly on target for next month’s Grand National Carnival at Riccarton.
“Everything’s really good with Jesko,” Hazel Fannin said. “He’s come through the Wellington Steeplechase beautifully. Racing doesn’t seem to knock him at all, he’s always really bright after all of his runs. We’re on track for Christchurch.”
In the meantime, talented stablemate Fourty Eight will attempt to resume his own rise through the ranks this weekend.
A four-time winner on the flat, the Ekraar gelding showed bright promise with a win and a second in his first two starts over hurdles. He tailed the field home in the Jones Trucking Hurdle (2800m) at Te Rapa on May 24, but Fannin believes the six-year-old can turn his form around when he makes his first steeplechase start this weekend.
“It’s been a great ride with the Frac Club with what Jesko’s done so far, and we think we’ve got a bit to look forward to with this horse too,” she said. “He’s got plenty of ability. He’s just been held up by a couple of little setbacks, but when he’s right, he’s pretty good.
“He’s been disappointing in his last couple of performances at Te Rapa and on the flat at Awapuni, but we’re putting that down to one of those setbacks. We think we’ve got him back on track now.
“Switching to steeplechasing shouldn’t be a problem for him. Because it’s his first jumps race since May, we thought it would be a softer option rather than going for the Hawke’s Bay Hurdles (3000m) in open company. We think he should run well.”
The Fannins’ Awapuni stable will also be represented by a trio of runners on the flat on Sunday – Sweet Ada in the MacDougalls (2100m) and Flying Celebration and Opawa Scarlett in the Farmlands Pahiatua & Mitchpine (1600m).
“They’re all nice chances, and especially Sweet Ada,” Fannin said. “We can’t fault her form at all this time in. She’s run well in every start and seems to be getting better with each run too. I think she’ll be very competitive again.”