Photo: Kenton Wright (Race Images)
Kozzi Asano signed off his brief New Zealand homecoming with a winning treble at Pukekohe on Saturday, headed by black-type success aboard Ardalio (Ardrossan) in the Gr.3 Haunui Farm Counties Bowl (1100m).
Originally from Japan, Asano arrived in New Zealand in 2017 and became champion apprentice two years later. He racked up a total of 336 wins, 20 of them at stakes level, before departing during the 2023-24 season for a successful stint in South Korea.
The 30-year-old returned to his Cambridge home earlier this season and rejoined Kiwi raceday riding ranks in October, but he will depart again for South Korea next week.
He could hardly have wished for a better farewell, with his final day in the saddle producing victories on Solidify in the Dunstan Horsefeeds Stayers’ Championship Qualifier (2100m), Moxie in the HR Fisken & Sons 1400, and Ardalio in the $150,000 Counties Bowl.
“I’m flying out again on Tuesday,” Asano said. “It’s going to be winter over there, it’s minus-three degrees at the moment.
“I really appreciate the opportunity to ride Ardalio. She’s such a nice horse. Mr Lib Petagna (owner) has supported me in the past, before I went to South Korea last time, and it was good to get the job done for him today.”
The Stephen Marsh-trained Ardalio was a dual black-type winner as a three-year-old last season and kicked off her four-year-old campaign with a close fourth over 1200m at Te Rapa on September 27.
Kept fresh for this feature sprint assignment 56 days later, Ardalio settled in fifth along the rail as Lhasa and Shoes led the field up to the home turn.
Ardalio cruised up alongside Lhasa with 250m to run and kicked away to take a clear lead. The danger lay wider out on the track as Twain began to eat into the margin with big strides.
Ardalio gave a scare to her jockey, connections and supporters when she drifted out into Twain’s line in the final 100m, but she pinned her ears back and kicked away again to beat him by a length and a half.
“She was super,” Asano said. “She’s not the easiest to ride and has got a few tricks, but she has a real killer instinct. I felt something coming up beside us, and she ducked out a little bit, but she was too good in the end.”
Bred and raced by Petagna’s JML Bloodstock, Ardalio has now had eight starts for four wins, a second and $417,100 in stakes. She won the Gr.3 Almanzor Trophy (1200m) and Gr.3 Cambridge Breeders’ Stakes (1200m) as a three-year-old, and ran a gallant seventh from a wide gate in the NZB Kiwi (1500m).
According to Marsh’s stable representative Dylan Johnson, Group One sprint features are now on Ardalio’s agenda.
“She’s putting together a great record and is just so tough,” Johnson said. “Kozzi gave her a beautiful trip, and then she just fights and grinds all the way to the finish. Those attributes made her a multiple Group winner as a three-year-old, and today was outstanding.
“Stephen is keen to keep her to those sprint trips this season, and we’ll have a look at races like the Telegraph (Gr.1, 1200m) and Railway (Gr.1, 1200m).”
