Kiwi jockey Masa Hashizume will step onto the Flemington turf for the first time this weekend when he attempts to qualify Bulls gelding Trav for next month’s Gr.1 Melbourne Cup (3200m).
The 29-year-old hoop partnered the Raymond Connors-trained six-year-old to a memorable victory in the Gr.2 Auckland Cup (3200m) at Ellerslie in March, and the Manawatu horseman has stuck with Hashizume ever since.
The pair have recorded two fourth placings in their two appearances together this season, including an eye-catching effort out wide at Ellerslie a fortnight ago.
Hashizume was rapt with Trav’s effort, and he got a welcome surprise when Connors offered him the ride in Australia, and he immediately accepted.
“I knew he was going to try to go to the Melbourne Cup, but I didn’t expect him to ask me to come to Melbourne with him,” Hashizume said.
“It was a huge run at Ellerslie last start and when I hopped off the horse, he (Connors) asked me if I wanted to ride Trav in Melbourne, and I said yes.”
Hashizume is excited to head to Melbourne on Saturday to ride Trav in the Gr.3 The Bart Cummings (2520m), an important lead-in race to the Melbourne Cup, with the victor gaining an automatic spot in the A$10 million feature.
Not only will it be Hashizume’s first look at the iconic track, it will also be his first time riding in Australia, a challenge he is looking forward to.
“I have never ridden in Aussie before,” he said. “It’s a good raceday with lots of Group races and a lot of good jockeys there, so I am excited to ride against them.”
Hashizume was going to have the presence of fellow New Zealand-based jockey Matt Cartwright to help guide him through the day, however, both jockeys fell during a race at Tauranga on Wednesday, with Cartwright’s injuries ruling him out of riding for a fortnight.
“Matt Cartwright was going to ride his mum’s horse (at Flemington) on the weekend, and he was going to take me through the jockey room and walk the track with me, but unfortunately he had an accident on Wednesday,” Hashizume said.
“Nothing is broken, he has just got a big bruise on his arm and he said he can’t ride for two weeks.”
Hashizume was fortunately unscathed and continued to ride for the rest of the meeting, but now he said he will have to find another jockey to lean on for advice, and he has one leading hoop in mind.
“I quite like Damian Lane and when he came to New Zealand for Karaka Millions night three years ago, he was happy to walk the track with me, so I might ask him,” Hashizume said.
Trav will jump from barrier six on Saturday, and while Hashizume does not know how he will handle his first test on Australian soil, there is one thing that he can assure.
“I will try my best,” he said.
