Masa Hashizume had plenty of motivation to get back to race-riding after a fall last month, and on Saturday, he will be back at Ellerslie to partner star three-year-old Willydoit in the Group 2 Avondale Guineas (2100m).
The Auckland-based hoop is having the best season of his career to date, currently well on track to surpass his previous season-best tally of 57 wins. In the first half of this term, Hashizume had steered home 52 winners including Kelly Coe in the Group 3 J Swap Sprint (1400m) at Te Rapa.
Hashizume had been battling out the lead in the National Jockey’s Premiership with Craig Grylls, before an unfortunate incident in the final race on Thorndon Mile Day resulted in a broken collarbone. Just over a month later, Hashizume was back at trackwork, with his sights set on returning for the Avondale Cup meeting.
“I hadn’t done much for about four weeks, then I started riding trackwork on the 11th (of February),” he said. “I’m feeling good, I’ve been going to the gym to help my shoulder and everything’s going well.
“I was always planning to come back on the 22nd, so it’s good to be able to do that.”
Willydoit has been one of the finds of the three-year-old crop this season and Hashizume has been right by his side throughout, riding him in every trial and raceday appearance up to February 1, where Kevin Stott took the reins in his absence.
The son of Tarzino has won three of his four starts and is currently rated a $2 favourite with horse racing bookmakers for the $1.25 million Group 1 New Zealand Derby (2400m) on Champions Day next month, his next target after Saturday’s assignment.
“He’s a very easy-going type of horse, and in a good way, he doesn’t know anything or worry about anything,” Hashizume said. “He’s won at 1400m and a mile, but when you look at him, he looks like a big four-year-old staying type.
“Whatever he’s doing now is just a bonus, he’ll go 2100m no problem.”
A grateful Hashizume will reunite with the gelding on Wednesday for his final gallop, under the watchful eye of trainers Shaun and Emma Clotworthy.
“Shaun has been supporting me since I was a three and four-kilo claimer,” he said. “If this horse was with another stable, I probably would’ve been taken off by now, so it’s very special to me that Shaun, Emma and the owners have that belief in me.
“Hopefully I can get a result for them too.”
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