Heat Haze Headed For Wellington Cup
- Sunday, 17 January 2010 07:45
A horse with a major bone missing from her head has bounded into contention for the Wellington Cup.
Heat Haze charged home for an impressive win when she made her open class debut in the 2200m Marton Cup at Awapuni on Saturday.
The mare is from the stable of Paul Jenkins, who said the horse smashed a head bone called the poll when being transported home from a yearling auction.
"She went off in the float for some reason and took the poll out of her head. She basically has no bone between her ears," Jenkins told NZPA.
"It was a pretty serious head injury."
If that wasn't enough Heat Haze was again in the wars as a three-year-old.
"She then chipped both fetlocks as a spring three-year-old which required more surgery," Jenkins said.
"She was just one of those horses that seemed to run into trouble all the time."
Consequently it was only 18 months ago that the Zabeel five-year-old mare began racing but she now has the very promising record of six wins from 20 starts.
All of her wins have been at 1800 metres or beyond and she should be suited by the 2400 metres of the Wellington Cup at Trentham on January 30.
Heat Haze is also entered for the $1 million Auckland Cup (3200m) on March 10 and, all going well, Jenkins said there was no reason why she could not contest that race.
Heat Haze was bred and is part-owned by Lorna Moore who had victory in the 2005 Auckland Cup with Bazelle, another Zabeel mare trained by Jenkins.
Ridden by Lisa Allpress, Heat Haze only had a few behind her on the home turn but after being worked to the outer in the straight she stormed home to down Cassini by half a length.
Cassini made all the pace and looked a likely winner after going clear early in the run home on a track that had been downgraded from good to dead following early showers.
On Sunday Heat Haze shared the second line of favouritism with Fiorano for the Wellington Cup at $10 with Red Ruler heading the market at $4 alongside Booming, another winner on the Awapuni card.
The $2.60 favourite for a rating 90 race over 2300m, Booming never gave his army of supporters any cause for concern.
He settled fifth on the outer for Opie Bosson and moved forward approaching the turn when Hoddiggidy went clear early in the run.
The strapping Don Eduardo five-year-old gelding easily claimed the leader inside the final 200 metres and went on to score by a length.
