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• July 05, 2024
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Trainer lands first victory

Joshua Smith, LOVERACING.NZ News Desk

4 July 2024

It was a memorable day at Ashburton on Thursday for Jess Land, with the Rangiora horsewoman recording her first training win courtesy of Captain Oumuamua in the Green Fencing (1600m).

The son of Falkirk was fair away from barrier two but secured the coveted trail position behind race favourite Riviera Rebel. Apprentice jockey Kendra Bakker found clear running room for Captain Oumuamua down the straight and he needed every inch of the Ashburton straight to nab Riviera Rebel on the line to score by a nose.

Land was rapt to get the victory, particularly with a horse she inherited off her mentor, the late Paul Harris.

“It was nice to do it with a horse of Paul’s,” Land said.

“I gave Paul a call and told him I wanted to get into training and learn a bit about riding work, and he took me under his wing and helped me to get started.

“I went with him to the track quite a lot at the start and watched what he was doing with his gallops. I followed along with what he was doing and he was very generous with his time. He certainly gave me a lot of advice and some ideas of how I want to train my horses.”

Land was also pleased to pick-up a placing in the following race with Fakeittillumakeit.

“It was certainly a good day at the office and these two have come in and started their prep really well,” she said.

Land grew up with horses and comes from a sport horse background but found her way into racing through her association with thoroughbreds and becoming an NZTR (New Zealand Thoroughbred Racing) acknowledged re-trainer.

“I predominantly come from a sport horse background. I show jumped to 1.40m level and I have been riding jumpers for years,” Land said.

“I got into rehoming and retraining thoroughbreds quite a while back and I have been with NZTR since their acknowledged re-trainer programme started.

“We always had a lot (of thoroughbreds) through that you thought if you gave them a bit of variety and changed a few things whether it would pay off, so I got my trainer’s license last year.

“I have got a wee share in Zoulander, so I got the bug a bit watching him race and I thought I would give it a go myself.

“It has been a very levelling 12 months, but it is nice to see some good results.”

Land enjoys rehoming thoroughbreds but said she would like to focus more of her attention towards her training career, and scale back the number of retired racehorses she retrains.

“It (rehoming thoroughbreds) has got its challenges, but everyone is trying hard to get a great system,” she said. “I got into it because I was using thoroughbreds for sport and I got asked by a few trainers about whether I would take some to rehome. I do a lot of sell on behalf work and have sold well over 800 horses now on behalf of people.

“I love the training and would like to develop myself in this area. I have kept a handful of showjumpers, so I still do that, and I am going to stick with the rehoming but on a smaller scale.”

Land is still coming down from the high of recording her first win, and said she is keeping the dream alive of trying to get Captain Oumuamua to next month’s Gr.3 Winter Cup (1600m) at Riccarton.

“After today we are still on the Winter Cup plan,” she said. “It is a pipe dream, but his ownership group want to give it a shot and I would like to as well. We are very well aware that we are out of our grade and he might not get there, but he is going great and seems to be happy at the distance at the moment so we will keep on dreaming.”