R n’ R agrees with Fay Fay
HONG KONG owner Alexander Wong sent his high-class galloper, Fay Fay, to New Zealand for a bit of rest and recreation.
The plan was for the New Zealand-bred to spell in his country of birth before being pretrained and returned to continue his stellar career in Hong Kong.
After deliberation, the decision was made to leave him to race here and a fresh-up victory on Saturday proved the wisdom of that move.
In an outstanding training feat by Cambridge brothers Trevor and Martin Cruz, Fay Fay made a magnificent return to racing when the 2012 Hong Kong Derby winner prevailed in the $100,000 Group III Tauranga Stakes (1600m).
‘‘Two and a-half months ago we considered retiring him,’’ Trevor Cruz said. ‘‘We completely reworked his training regime so as not to pressure his joints and we have to be very careful with what we can and can’t do with him. He’s a challenging horse who we don’t work conventionally.
‘‘We didn’t really have any expectations with him here, as he hadn’t raced for a year and a half, but fitness-wise we thought he was quite fit and he is a class horse.
‘‘He’s a unique character and takes a while to get to know and trust people, a stranger couldn’t just walk up and befriend him.’’
Bred by prominent Whanganui breeders Peter and Barbara Smith, Fay Fay was originally sold at Karaka in 2009 for $13,000 and is now the winner of nearly $2.5 million. Saturday’s win over a quality field has given his trainers renewed confidence.
‘‘He’s a completely different horse than the one that arrived at our stable from Hong Kong,’’ Cruz said. ‘‘He’s much more relaxed and tractable now.’’
Fay Fay settled off the pace in the small field and when the runners fanned out in the straight, rider Mark Sweeney angled him toward the fence and the Falkirk gelding dashed home to win by half a length. ‘‘He struggled a bit [in the ground] across the top,’’ Sweeney said.
‘‘But the ground was better in the straight and he ended up winning easily with his ears pricked and he was hard to pull up.
‘‘He’s the first Hong Kong Derby winner I’ve ridden and he’s run up against fields of this quality all his life plus he’s a great looking horse and real class.’’