Still No Hassling the Hoof
15 December 2015
Pencarrow Stud-bred and part-owned Hasselhoof (NZ) (Tavistock x Alpine) put his four-race unbeaten record on the line and he didn't disappoint with an imposing victory in the $25,000 Dunstan Feeds 1400 at Ellerslie on Sunday.
Hasselhoof went into the Rating 85 event with a few unknown factors. Carrying the top-weight of 60kgs, racing for the first time in three months as well as racing away from his home track at Ruakaka for the first time.
Co-trainer Donna Logan, who trains in partnership with Chris Gibbs, admitted to a few nerves before the race, but those nerves were quickly replaced with excitement after the victory with Group races planned in the near future for the son of Tavistock.
Rider Matt Cameron jumped Hasselhoof out to settle on the rail before switching the four-year-old gelding to the outside for clear racing room mid-race. The pair were handy on the turn and comfortably raced away to win by 1.8 lengths with Carnavalito (NZ) (Mr. Nancho) in second, and Massofdash (NZ) (Align) a further neck away in third.
"He's our second Tavistock in the stable to win five in a row,” commented Gibbs, referring to stable star Volkstok’n’barell (NZ) (Tavistock). “Wait till this one learns how to gallop. He’s being aimed to return to Ellerslie on New Year’s Day for the Group 2 Rich Hill Mile,”
Hasslehoof is raced by Sir Peter Vela, who bred him with Philip Vela, Sir Patrick Hogan, the Dowage Duchess of Bedford, Donna Logan, Garry Cossey, Blair Alexander, the estate of the late Bill Woods as well as the Baywatch syndicate.
Logan purchased Hasselhoof as a yearling at New Zealand Bloodstock’s 2013 Karaka Select Sale for $14,000 from Pencarrow Stud.
The son of Tavistock is out of a Zabeel mare Alpine and is a half-brother to the stakes winner Vercos (Catbird), winner of the Listed Wairarapa Thoroughbred Breeders’ Stakes. His dam is a full-sister to Manawa King (Zabeel), a runner-up in the Group 1 Sydney Cup, and is a half-sister to Lord Ted (Ballina), winner of the Group 1 Ellerslie Sires’ Produce Stakes.