Tarzino Trophy Countdown: Number 9 - Fritzy Boy 2008

The first Group 1 of the New Zealand racing season always brings a great deal of excitement. As we get closer to the running of the 2020 Tarzino Trophy, we are taking a look at the top 10 performances in the race since the turn of the century.

First run in 1985 when named the Challenge Stakes, all through the years this race has attracted an extremely strong field. Given it is early in the season at Weight-For-Age conditions over 1400m, horses of the highest echelon use this race as a springboard to campaigns both in New Zealand and Internationally.

Previously named the Mudgway Stakes, the Mudgway Challenge Stakes and the Makfi Challenge Stakes, the race was renamed the Tarzino Trophy in 2017. Tarzino - a former Victoria Derby and Rosehill Guineas winner - now stands at Westbury Stud.

Dubbed “The Pride of Wairarapa” by race caller Tony Lee, Fritzy Boy’s win in a field full of depth in 2008 was simply too good to leave out of our top 10.

Everyone loves a tough, durable veteran and Fritzy Boy was certainly one of those.

His first start was a debut victory on 30th August 2007 at the now closed down Foxton racecourse and his last was on 13th December 2014 at Te Rapa. In between times, his career spanning eight seasons featured 81 starts for 15 victories. He paid the punter a dividend on 42% of all occasions he stepped out on a track and was in the first five home in 60% of his starts. 51 of those starts were at stakes level. Every owner, trainer or jockey would give anything for a horse like him!

While the dogged son of Brilliance amassed close to $900,000 in prize money and was Group 1 placed on five separate occasions, it was his sole victory at the highest level in the 2008 Mudgway Stakes that sits at the head of his resume.

A sensational 3yo season where he won four times at listed level in the Wanganui, Gore, Dunedin and Southland Guineas was capped off by running 3rd in the 2007 Derby behind C’est La Gurre.

“I remember copping a bit of flack for taking him to the Derby on the back of that deep south island form, but he was hard fit and had so much ability” says trainer Alby MacGregor.

Spelled after the Derby, Fritzy Boy was then aimed at all three legs of the triple crown in the spring.

Drawing the inside barrier and missing the kick was far from ideal, but it was a trademark ride from the master Noel Harris that saw him right. He worked to be midfield on the rail, sitting just off the speed battle up front. The inside path was blocked at the 700m, so in a ride he could play as an example to his students, the now apprentice jockey mentor didn’t panic. He drew his mount out off the rail to come wide at the turn.

Insouciant was up front and looking to run them into the deck, with the Opaki galloper six or seven lengths off the front at the 350m. But he found top gear to power home down the outside to swoop to Group 1 victory.

“He was a fit as fiddle going into that race, he’d had the only had the one lead up run but I remember him just being so well on the day. Brian Hibberd who rode him regularly wasn’t able to as he was engaged down south from memory so we were lucky to get Noel who I knew well and was of course a top jockey”

The win would give MacGregor his first Group 1 winner in 30 years.

As mentioned, the field was particularly strong. When all was said and done on the careers of the 15 other participants in the race, there had been 117 wins between them, 52 of these were at Group or Listed level, there were 5 individual Group 1 winners and they had fashioned over $10 million prize money between them.

Fritzy Boy would carry on in that triple crown campaign to finish 3rd in the Stoney Bridge and 5th in the Kelt Capital. He would finish with another three Group 3 victories and his five Group 1 placings came in The Derby (2008), The Stoney Bridge (2008), The Captain Cook (2009), The Mudgway (2010) and The Windsor Park Plate (2010).

When it finally came time to draw the curtain on his fantastic career, he wasn’t so keen according to MacGregor!

“He spent time at beyond the barriers but he was a tough old bugger, I think he thought he was still a race horse when he went to shows! He’s now home with us on the farm, gets feed twice a day and is in great health”

Our Number 9 since the turn of the millennium is Fritzy Boy!