Lofty British jumps jockey Jay Kozaczek made the perfect start to his riding venture in New Zealand at Te Aroha on Thursday when guiding Sound of Silence to victory in the Agrisea NZ Steeplechase (3500m) for Dave Blackie, who also celebrated his first training success.
Kozaczek kept a cool head aboard Sound of Silence for the majority of the journey, sitting at the rear of the field before pushing the go button after the third to last fence. Sound Of Silence was able to quickly reel in runaway leader Pontardawe and storm home to a 11-1/4 length victory.
“I rode him in a trial and I thought he jumped so well,” Kozaczek said. “I think he will want a bit more distance by the way he keeps finding. He kept going well and the more he found the more I kept on pushing him.
“It was my first race day (in New Zealand) today. I am ecstatic, I can’t believe it.”
Earlier on the card, Kozaczek also picked up a placing aboard Shocking Penny in The Bottle-O Te Aroha Hurdles (3100m) for trainer Reece Cole.
“She went well,” Kozaczek said. “It was her first run back, so she wasn’t that fit. She usually goes out in front, but I just put her in behind because she didn’t feel that fit in the race. She finished well and I was happy with her.”
Kozaczek has been involved with horses his entire life and started his riding career in Scandinavia before trying his hand in England. With a lack of riding opportunities in his homeland he decided to come out and try his luck in New Zealand at the behest of his family.
“I have ridden horses all of my life,” he said. “I did pony club and went to the Horse of the Year Show with mounted games. Straight out of school I went to the British Racing School in England and worked my way up from there. I worked in yards in England and then got the opportunity to go to Scandinavia and start race riding over there.
“I rode four winners on the flat and then I grew. I am six foot two (inches) now, so it was time to go jumping. I rode four or five winners over jumps in Scandinavia and then I went back to England for a year or two, but I couldn’t really get going. There are just that many jockeys that you can’t get going.
“I have got family over here (New Zealand) and they said I should come out here and there are great opportunities here and it is an amazing country, so I thought ‘why not?’
“I jumped straight on a plane and came over three weeks ago, and I have already ridden a winner, I can’t believe it.”
Kozaczek is basing himself with family just outside of Cambridge, and he said he is enjoying his time downunder and will look to quickly add to his tally at Hastings on Saturday where he will ride Greystone in the Best Forsyth Electrical Maiden Hurdle (2500m) and Imperial Party in the Birchleigh Polo Club Maiden Hurdle (2500m).
“I am just out of Cambridge at Matangi. It is beautiful there and quite handy to the Cambridge track,” he said. “I am riding at the Cambridge track for a lot of trainers trying to get my name out there.”