Peter Rubery (Race Images Palmerston North)
Goodwood Stud’s William Fell is enjoying an exciting ride with unbeaten star steeplechaser Jesko.
While it has been an unforeseen outcome, it’s nevertheless a successful one with the son of the late Atlante quickly rising to the top of the jumping ranks.
The late bloomer won three on the flat before a successful transformation for trainers Shaun and Hazel Fannin with the former also taking the reins.
Jesko began his hot run at Wanganui before claiming the Manawatu Steeplechase (4000m) and Wellington Steeplechase (4900m) titles.
“It wasn’t what we were intending to breed, but it was another very good win on Saturday and we’ll take it, he’s an exciting horse,” Fell said.
“We had a share in Atlante and that was how the mating came about, and Striking Asset was a medium sized Van Nistelrooy mare from quite a nice family.
“He was always a nice horse, but he wasn’t a yearling sale horse and that’s why we sold him on Gavelhouse.
“I remember him being a big, solid sort of horse who was going to need some time to mature.”
Jesko was initially sold for $800 as a yearling and subsequently purchased by Fannin for $3,300 when again offered as a four-year-old via the online platform.
His mother Striking Asset is a half-sister to stakes winner Al Jameel with the third dam the three-time Group One winner Canny Lass.
“We had one more foal with her after Jesko and she was retired,” Fell said.
“She was disappointing on the breeding front, aside from him, and she had her chance, breeding to the likes of Iffraaj and Per Incanto, but that’s how it goes sometimes.”
Goodwood has downsized in recent years, making the Manawatu farm a more manageable operation for Fell and wife Rosie, nee Myers.
“We’re breeding from about half a-dozen mares now, which is a good number for us,” he said.
“We do the foaling down here and when it comes to yearling preps, we send them out.
“We spread them around, Georgia Brown has done some locally for us and we use Wentwood Grange, Carlaw Park and Woburn Farm so we try and slot them in where it best suits.
“We want to keep building on the quality, that’s always the goal and we’ve got a nice group of young mares.”
Goodwood also has stallion shares in Little Avondale Stud’s Per Incanto and Little Brose.
“We were a shareholder in Proisir but sold that about 12 or 18 months ago after getting a nice offer,” Fell said.
“We’re in a position now that we can race a few fillies with Rosie training so that ticks that box.”
Among them is the Iffraaj mare Great Escape, a winner and multiple placegetter from a handful of starts, who is out of a half-sister to three-time Group One-winning Goodwood graduate Gingernuts.
