Shaun Fannin has spent plenty of time in the winner’s circle during the Grand National Festival of Racing, and this year’s carnival presents an entirely new challenge for the Awapuni horseman.
One of the country’s top jumps jockeys for the better part of a decade, Fannin has won each of the four jumping features at Riccarton on numerous occasions, including two of the last three editions of the Racecourse Hotel and Motor Lodge Koral Steeplechase (4250m) with West Coast.
Fannin relishes the opportunity to tackle the picturesque circuit each year in August, and he’s got extra motivation this time around with his own horse, rising star Jesko.
“Riccarton is a beautiful track to ride on, it’s nice and open with some really nice live fences,” he said.
“The atmosphere on course down there is great, National Day always has a great big crowd and so does the Winter Cup, so that gets the adrenaline pumping, as well as a great horse to ride.
“Those things combined make it a pretty special place.”
A comfortable winner of the Manawatu Steeplechase (4000m) and Wellington Steeplechase (4900m) this campaign, Jesko has earned his short-priced favouritism for the feature and next weekend’s Racecourse Hotel and Motor Lodge 150th Grand National Steeplechase (5600m).
Entering just his third season training in partnership with wife Hazel Fannin, that feat is not lost on the 29-year-old.
“We haven’t been training for very long, so to have a leading chance in big races like these is very special for us,” he said. “Hopefully we can get a good result.”
After his Trentham successes, Jesko returned to the flat at Waverley and gave a sight in Rating 75 grade, finishing second to Dancin In The Dark despite a wide trip.
“I was really happy with him, it didn’t really go to plan being out three-wide the whole way, but he stuck on very well considering,” Fannin said. “We didn’t have to do too much with him this week to keep him up to the mark after that.
“He travelled down on Tuesday morning with Hazel and by all accounts he’s very bright, he’s pretty headstrong so nothing seems to knock him too much.”
As for much of the Koral field, the main target comes seven days later in the National, and Fannin is keeping that in mind as Jesko navigates the circuit for the first time.
“You want to see them going through the line strongly at the finish, but in Jesko’s case, it’s his first time being down there, and it’s always a bit different for a horse,” he said.
“Riccarton is very open with big fences, so I’m prepared for him to have a look at a couple, but as long as his jumping improves as the race goes on and he finishes it off nicely, we’ll be more than happy with that heading into the National.
“He usually jumps away quite quickly and at home he can be quite aggressive, he’s not quite so aggressive on raceday, but it’s just how he likes to go.
“Ideally he’s probably better with something to follow, but at the same time, he likes to get along at his own speed and if there’s no speed in the race, he’ll probably end up in front.
“I see he’s drawn one on Saturday, so I think I’ll try and use that by having him up there at the first couple of fences.”
