Breckon and Cole are going big in new slot races

THE ASCENT and THE VELOCITY are the brand new $500,000 harness racing slot races that will be a big part of the Show Day Twilight race meeting at Addington Raceway on Friday, November 15. The $30,000 slots for the two races for the three-year-old trotters and pacers were snapped up in quick time – so who are the people behind the names? Over the next few weeks we will profile many of the slot holders.

Today it is Ken Breckon and Richard Cole (and Rick/Nick) 

Industry heavyweights Ken Breckon (pictured above) and Richard Cole say they can’t take “any credit” for snaring gun Aussie Keayang Zahara for the $500,000 THE ASCENT at Addington Raceway on Show Day, November 15.

The unbeaten three-year-old Victorian star has been a buzz horse across the Tasman.

Initially Breckon thought he would race one of his own horses from his state of the art farm at Ohaupo in the Waikato.

But with them failing to measure up the name Keayang Zahara came up.

“I can’t take any credit for it, it was Nigel Fahy, the farm manager here who saw Keayang race in Aussie and said she was a freak.”

“I was overseas so Richard rang up pronto and the rest is history.”

The filly is owned by the Lavarg Racing Group, trained by Margaret Lee at Terang and driven by son Jason. They have proven an unbeatable combo so far – eight starts for eight wins and $176K in the kitty.

“She certainly looks freakish,” says Breckon, “to win the way she has been.”

“We went after the best horse and we were fortunate enough to get her,” says Cole.

“She looks next level and there’s a chance she’ll stay on and race in any other three-year-old features she’s eligible for – maybe the Derby and the Oaks,” says Breckon.

Breckon (pictured above) and Cole go way back, to when Cole was around eight years old.

“I met him when I was about 19, I worked for his father Peter Cole. He was my boss at a plumbing distribution business called H. Leighton Hill.”

“That was when I fell in love with the plumbing business and I thought I would venture out with my own agencies.”

Breckon would go on to be a major player in the sector, through his business Hydroflow while Cole is the managing director of equine freight company IRT NZ and one of four directors of IRT Global.

Cole’s been a big owner (and winner) over the years with horses such as Miracle Mile runner-up Sooner The Bettor and currently races some very nice horses with Breckon and others, including Rubira, Party Central and Five Crowns.

As well as having an interest in THE ASCENT, he is also one half of the Rick/Nick Syndicate (along with Addington Raceway director Nick James) that has a slot in the 3YO Pacers slot race, THE VELOCITY.

“Because I own a share in Jeremiah he is probably where we are heading,” says Cole.

The Lazarus three-year-old has now won five from 11 for top northern trainers Barry Purdon and Scott Phelan, his latest win coming last Friday night at Alexandra Park.

So come Friday November 15, Cole is set up to be in the unique position of having two chances to win the first ever Show Day slot races.

“It’s going to be a massive Cup week.”

To see the story on Diane Reilly click here

To see the story on The Pukekohe Punter click here

To see the story on Peter and Janet Argus click here 

From Harness Racing New Zealand