Northern apprentice jockey Joe Nishizuka experienced the highs and lows of race riding at Tauranga on Sunday and fortunately finished the meeting on a high with his first winning double.
Partnering Stephen Ralph’s filly Ride Sally Ride in the opening event, Nishizuka settled in behind the speed but clipped heels with eventual winner Night Warrior near the 1000 metres, resulting in the young hoop falling from his mount.
“It was just an unlucky situation, my greenness didn’t help when Wiremu (Pinn) made a decision and I wasn’t quick enough to react, so I just clipped heels which was unfortunate,” Nishizuka said.
“Luckily I was fine, I went through a couple of rails on the ground but came up standing again thinking ‘that was a bit sore’. It all happens very quickly, you’re on the ground before you know it.”
Walking away unscathed, Nishizuka had three remaining rides on the card and turned his fortunes around aboard $50 chance Verdi’s Opera (NZ) (Verdi), another of Ralph’s representatives who was having her eighth start in the Triton Pacific Maiden (2100m).
Jumping from barrier ten, Verdi’s Opera sat three-wide throughout the staying contest and rolled up to the lead turning for home, sustaining a brave effort to score in a photo finish with the fast-closing Canulovemeagain.
“She was great, she jumped out and Mr Ralph had said that if I couldn’t find cover, it was fine,” Nishizuka said.
“There was a lot happening at the start and I hoped to sit behind Sam Spratt, but Pam (Gerard, mentor) had told me to look up more and try to read what will happen before it does. I tried to do that, and ended up deciding to avoid that by kicking up and sitting forward.
“She was really nice and relaxed and as we got to the corner she just kept clicking up more and more. She came home really strongly and when I saw Masa (Hashizume, jockey of Canulovemeagain) coming, I did get a bit desperate because he had beaten me in a close finish at Ruakaka last week. I was pretty determined and luckily it went my way.
“Mr Ralph has given me lots of rides and we’ve had a lot of placings together, so I really wanted to give him a win to thank him for the support.”
Heading into the final event on the card, Nishizuka was engaged to ride a more-favoured runner in Mister Pucci ($5.80), who was successful over 1400m at Rotorua on Wednesday and was on the quick back-up for trainer Gavin Opie.
The son of Puccini jumped away fairly and settled last of 11 in the running with plenty of ground to make up in the home straight, but he began to storm home in the final 100m in pursuit of Drop Of Something to produce another tight finish.
Mister Pucci and the Wayne Hillis-trained gelding were unable to be split at the line, the race eventually being announced as a dead heat.
“Pam gave me a lot of advice after the last race going into Mister Pucci’s run, because we knew he would be very competitive,” Nishizuka said.
“The instructions from Mr Opie were to get going from the 800, he said Pucci would probably sit in behind but the gap I was going for was closed very quickly at the start so I pulled back.
“I started rolling from the 800 and there wasn’t really anywhere to go, but Pucci picked up and came home so strongly and luckily we got up in time to share the win.
“Mr Opie had given me a lot of support around a year ago before my injury, so it’s great to get one for him this season.”
