Hezashocka enhanced his reputation as a “mudlark marvel” with a tough win on a testing track at Newcastle on Saturday.
The Listed $300,000 Gosford Gold Cup was over 2200m but the race must have felt considerably longer for those slogging through Broadmeadow’s heavy 9 track.
The Mick Price and Michael Kent Junior-trained Hezashocka had not won beyond 2100m previously but he stayed the trip strongly to score a decisive win.
But for top jockey Chad Schofield, rider of Hezashocka, there was real concern when he glanced up nearing the home turn and saw how far behind he was from the rampaging Sir Lucan.
“I was worried,” Schofield said when Hezashocka was standing the leaders about six lengths start.
“Rachel (King, rider of Sir Lucan) had stolen a decent march on me and, at that point, she was in full flight and I was held up for a run.
“But to my horse’s credit he really picked up and chased down the leader.”
Hezashocka ($4) finished too well for a game Sir Lucan ($21) to win the Gosford Gold Cup by a widening margin of three-quarters of a length.
The top two finishers gapped their rivals with Double Cherry ($26) nearly six lengths away in third position, just in front of fading early leader and favourite Goldman ($2.60).
It took Hezashocka 2m 20.72s to complete the 2200m – more than 3s outside Jagger’s track record – but Schofield was impressed with the Victorian gelding’s stamina.
“Obviously he loves these heavy tracks and I was able to ride him a little bit closer today,” Schofield said.
“He quickened well with his lightweight and was strong through the line.”
Schofield emulated his father, former champion jockey Glyn, who won two Gosford Gold Cups on Singing (2018) and Sir Plush (2019).
Ben Elam, the representative for the Price-Kent stable, had a humorous take on Hezashocka’s penchant for rain-affected tracks.
“Hezashocka is a horse who likes heavy tracks, the more rain the better,” Elam said.
“We were in the pub last night talking about the races and when the Newcastle trots got abandoned we were pretty confident we were going to get the track we wanted.”
But Hezashocka is also renowned for being slow out to get into stride so Elam gave Schofield some specific riding instructions before the Gosford Gold Cup.
“I told Chad to wake him up in the barriers to see if he jumps,” Elam said.
“He gave us something to work with today because he was able to settle midfield rather than right out the back where the race is sort of over before it’s really begun.”
So, when the Gai Waterhouse and Adrian Bott-trained Sir Lucan ranged alongside stablemate Goldman and the duo opened up their sizeable lead coming into the Newcastle straight, was Elam as worried as Schofield?
“I knew Hezashocka is a horse that doesn’t slow down,” Elam said.
“When he gets the ‘revs’ up he holds that gallop the whole way so I knew he would keep coming.
“Sir Lucan was out on a limb the whole way and I thought he is going to stop at some stage.
“He has put up a great showing but I thought our horse did a terrific job to run the leader down.”
Hezashocka had never won beyond 2100m until the Gosford Gold Cup but his win opens up a number of options for the son of 2009 Melbourne Cup winner Shocking.
“We ran him over 2800m early in his career and he stopped really badly which made us think he might just be a 2000m horse,” Elam said.
“But every race he has had this time in we have been watching him and thinking he’s getting a bit older and a bit slower so he will get further.
“The mile and a half looks ideal for him but the race program hasn’t set up for him to get out to 2400m yet this preparation.
“He will go to Queensland now and there is a nice string of 2400m races that will suit him up there.
“He’s a horse that could not be going any better and with this rain that’s around in Sydney, which he has made the most of, and now to Queensland where there are heavy tracks, we are pretty excited.”