Fairdale Graduate Coasts To Gr 1 Glory
March 2010

The Fell and Cummings families have enjoyed a long and successful association and they combined for a runaway Gr 1 success at Ellerslie yesterday. The Fairdale Stud-bred and sold Zavite was prepared by Anthony Cummings for a dominant victory in the $1 million Auckland Cup.

"I've been looking at Fairdale Stud drafts since I was 14 so I know how good a breeders they are," Cummings said. "I've got some good horses from them. They've had some great families there that have performed for years."

By Zabeel out of the Alleged mare Miss Vita, Zavite was sold by Fairdale for $A80,000 at the Sydney Easter Sale in 2004. Miss Vita was a winner at 2400 metres in England and the stud purchased her through New Zealander Larry Stratten, a Newmarket-based bloodstock agent. He has subsequently won 10 races and yesterday's Ellerslie success took his career earnings beyond the $2 million mark. "A million in Kiwi money is still great and if the country keeps offering the money we'll be back to try and win it," Cummings said.

Zavite was brilliantly-handled by champion jockey Damien Oliver who bided his early time back of midfield.
When runners started to bunch across the top Oliver made his move and drove Zavite to a clear lead on straightening. "He was jogging on the turn and I could see the other main chances were going nowhere," Oliver said. "They weren't going as well as we were, so I decided my best chance was to go for it."

Even under his 57.5kg topweight, Zavite never looked like being headed and he crossed the line with a three and a-quarter length margin on Booming. Cummings, whose father Bart has also had his share of success with the Fairdale breed, said he gave Oliver no pre-race instructions. "If I have to tell Damien how to ride this horse I've brought the wrong jockey across." Cummings said he would now give serious thought to a start in next month's Gr 1 $A400,000 Sydney Cup provided the track was firm.

Zavite On Target For Cup
March 2010

Fairdale Stud's millionaire graduate Zavite has thrived in his build-up toward New Zealand's premier staying event - the Gr 1 Auckland Cup at Ellerslie. The Anthony Cummings-trained stayer flew in earlier this week and has had his first look at Ellerslie in preparation for next Wednesday's feature. Zavite is being stabled at Pukekohe with training partners Gareth McRae and Garry Newham who have been impressed with the Zabeel gelding's condition.

"He's settled in very well here and he worked nicely over a bit of ground at Ellerslie on Wednesday," McRae said. "He went over about 2000 metres and quickened up over the last 600 and pleased his work rider - everybody's more than happy with him. "He hasn't missed a beat since and he's eating well and looks nice and bright."

Bred and sold by Fairdale at Karaka in 2003 for $80,000, Zavite is out of the imported Alleged mare Miss Vita who won up to 2400 metres in England. Her seven-year-old son has been an outstanding performer for the Cummings stable with nine wins up to 3200 metres and career earnings of nearly $A1.5 million. Zavite's career highlights include a Gr 2 success in the Adelaide Cup, Gr 3 wins in the Queen Elizabeth Stakes and Launceston Cup and Listed victories in the Australia Day and McKell Cups.

He has also been placed in the Gr 2 Herbert Power Stakes and the Gr 3 Geelong and Hobart Cups. Zavite is in excellent form and boasts a last-start victory under 60.5kg over 2500 metres at Moonee Valley last Friday night. Champion jockey Damien Oliver has been booked for the Auckland Cup ride and the combination are listed as second favourites in the pre-post market.

Awapuni Victory For Well-Related Mare
March 2010

A mare whose pedigree boasts one of the finest performers to grace the tracks of Australia in the last 20 years was to the fore for Fairdale Stud at Awapuni on Thursday. Neversaynever was bred and sold by the farm and is from the family of eight-time Gr 1 winner and former top-rated four-year-old Super Impose. He won 20 races including the Cox Plate, two renewals of the Doncaster and Epsom Handicaps and the Chipping Norton as well as a Ranvet Stakes victory.

By Fairdale resident Howbaddounwantit, Neversaynever's third dam is the Taipan mare Pheroz Fancy who left the brilliant Super Impose. She was also a half-sister to Ocean Pearl who in turn is the mother of the ill-fated Gr 1 Zabeel Classic winner Mikki Street. Neversaynever was bought out of Fairdale's Festival Sale draft to Karaka in 2007 for $14,000 and is trained at Hastings by part-owner John Bary. The four-year-old has now won three races and weighed in a further seven times from her 16 appearances.