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Winter rivalry brewing for Hocquard pair
Jess de Lautour, LOVERACING.NZ News Desk • April 22nd, 2025 12:49 pm
Photo: Peter Rubery (Race Images Palmerston North)
King Of Hearts may provide some competition to his talented stablemate Spencer in the coming months after collecting back-to-back victories at Waverley on Monday.
A six-year-old by Jakkalberry, King Of Hearts recorded three wins in the care of breeder-owner Thomas Russell, who handed over the care of his gelding to Erin Hocquard in late November last year.
After striking firmer surfaces early in the preparation, King Of Hearts was right at home back on the heavy last-start at Waverley, defeating Baronet in a Rating 75 1200m.
The class, distance and track conditions remained the same for King Of Hearts on Easter Monday and so did the result. Despite racing keenly under Kavish Chowdhoory through the mid-stages, King Of Hearts was full of running on the home turn and skipped through the ground, putting a 4 – ¼ length margin on Malborough Bay at the post.
“I thought he would go a good race, he’s been working well and I thought he would handle the track,” Hocquard said. “It was good to see him win the way he did.”
Hocquard was pleased to get the result for Russell and his partner Pip D’Arcy-Brain, who also entrusted her with the gelding’s half-sister Black Orlov, a winner in early December.
“He (King Of Hearts) came to me about six weeks before Christmas, initially for pre-training but he ended up staying here and they ended up dropping off his sister as well,” she said.
“Brett Gulliver, who is a horse chiropractor and does all my horses, is good mates with them and has a share in King Of Hearts. They were looking for somewhere to send their horses and he put in a few names to them and luckily, they’ve ended up here.
“He’s very easy to have around and pretty sensible, they’ve obviously taught him well.”
Hocquard is yet to make a firm plan for King Of Hearts going forward, but she is mindful of avoiding Spencer, who was an impressive winner at the Foxton trials last Tuesday.
Spencer burst on to the scene around this time last year, winning three in a row before placing behind Belardo Boy in the Listed Opunake Cup (1400m). The talented galloper went on to win the Gr.3 Spring Sprint (1400m) in mid-October but was turned out soon after to avoid the firmer surfaces over summer.
Returning to the trials, the son of Derryn was the class horse of his 1000m heat and that was evident in the finish, cruising to the line under a hold in the hands of Chowdhoory.
“He only had one little jump-out before that, so whether he has another jump-out or a trial before he kicks off, I’m not too sure yet,” Hocquard said. “I’m looking for races for him over the winter, hopefully these two (King Of Hearts and Spencer) don’t clash too much.
“When he won at Te Rapa (Spring Sprint), the track was a bit better and he did handle that, but the track at Foxton the other day was a little hard for him and he enjoys the softer ground.
“We’re looking at similar races to last year, but I’ve got to be a bit careful where he goes and that he doesn’t get too much weight.”
