Feiss buckles up for her biggest Cup Day yet

Leviathan Aussie harness racing owner Jean Feiss has won races at the highest level but not even that has prepared her for what she is about to experience in New Zealand on Tuesday (Nov. 8).

Feiss has a record number of her horses taking part of the pinnacle NZ Cup meeting.

“I have seven horses racing . . . I’ve never had that many horses in at a NZ Cup meeting before,” said the Feiss.

Feiss will leave her Victorian base on Sunday in preparation to witness her standardbreds do their thing and the obvious highlight is Self Assured (Bettor’s Delight) racing in the $NZ600,000 NZ Cup.

Self Assured won the 2020 edition and a repeat result will be a dream come true for Feiss.

“He won it in 2020 and I couldn’t be there so it would be nice to experience that feeling on track,” said Feiss.

“It was still an unbelievable feeling, just breathtaking.

“Self Assured has had a bit of a bug and hasn’t been 100 per cent in the lead up so hopefully by Tuesday he puts it all behind him.

“He will give it a good go, that’s for sure.”

Self Assured will step away from one in the NZ Cup having carried the 15 saddlecloth when second to Copy That in last year’s edition and 11 the year he won it.

Also drawn barrier one on the day is Feiss’ other pacer Sherlock in the $NZ170,000 Two-Year-Old Colts and Geldings Sires Stakes Final.

The gelding is by Feiss’ multiple Group 1-winning pacer Vincent.

“With Sherlock being by Vincent, he’s pretty special to me,” said Feiss.

“I bought him at the sales and not because he reminded me of Vincent . . . I actually haven’t seen a horse that has reminded me of Vincent, none that I could say is a spitting image of him anyway.”

Most of Feiss’ horses racing on Tuesday are by Bettor’s Delight.

This includes True Fantasy and Queen Of Diamonds in the Group 1 Nevele R Fillies Series Final, Feiss’ two-year-old gelding With Style in race nine and her three-year-old Cyrus in race 13.

Feiss’ other starter on the day is her Downbytheseaside two-year-old gelding Sinbad in race two.

All of her horses engaged are trained by the Mark Purdon and Hayden Cullen partnership.

“I trained horses for many years and just wanted to scale back so I just started buying horses in NZ,” said Feiss.

“It was just something I wanted to do and I knew Mark for years as he would stay at our property when he raced here and it all started from there.

“I don’t miss the hard yards of training, particularly in winter, but I still enjoy being hands on in a way now just without the mud.”

Feiss will be looking to swap out the mud for more trophies come Tuesday.

For complete race entries, click here.

by Amanda Rando, for Harnesslink