18 March 2026
Doctor prescribed a trip across the Tasman
A busy time on-farm and a lack of suitable races has prompted Waverley trainer Joanne Moss to send her stable star Doctor Askar (NZ) (Derryn) across the Tasman to join champion trainer Chris Waller.
The five-year-old gelding has won seven of his 22 starts, with a further seven placings, with the Gr.2 Thorndon Mile (1600m) victory in January a career highlight to date.
Doctor Askar is the sole horse in training for Moss, who along with partner Isaac Lupton, operates a dairy farm in South Taranaki alongside their horse interests.
“Isaac broke his leg recently and that kind of triggered a few things,” Moss said. “We were getting busier on the farm and there weren't really many races left for him here in New Zealand this season.
“He's going over to Chris Waller and we will just see how he goes. If he doesn't measure up, he'll just have to come home and if he goes well, then he might get to stay a little bit longer.”
Doctor Askar signed off his New Zealand campaign with a sixth placing behind Legarto (NZ) (Proisir) in the Gr.1 Bonecrusher New Zealand Stakes (2000m) on Champions Day, having missed a run in the Gr.1 Herbie Dyke Stakes (2000m) after a float incident.
“Generally he is a good traveller, but there were a lot of roadworks on the way to Hamilton for the Herbie Dyke,” Moss said.
“He kind of just skewiffed in the truck a bit and hurt himself, so he had to be scratched. That was the run he needed before going to the Bonecrusher.
“I thought he ran really well at Ellerslie despite the gap between runs and that's why I had to ask the question, what do you do with him now?
“He deserves his chance to go to a good trainer over there because he is a nice horse and if it doesn’t work out for him over there, we can always bring him back to New Zealand.”
Doctor Askar is extra special not only because Moss bred the son of Derryn but she co-owns him with her 92-year-old mother Jill.
The gelding is named after a Doctor who saved the life of Moss’s son James.
“It was 14 years ago when our son James was born, and he ended up at Waikato Hospital and Dr Askar was the one who looked after us,” she said.
“I always thought I'll name a horse after Dr Askar one day. Then this horse came along and the rest is history.
“I have emailed him a couple of times and he has said he has been watching and getting a good kick out of it.”
Doctor Askar is more like a member of the family, but Moss is confident he will suit the bigger stable environment.
“It’s a bit like sending a child to boarding school. He's like the fourth child to us and he's never really left us,” she said.
“Isaac broke him in and it's only really Isaac and I that have ridden him. He's got a lot of personality, so I just hope he keeps it.
“He actually likes being stabled, so I think going to Chris will suit him.
“We sent Herengawe (NZ) (Zed) over to Chris and the whole team was awesome to deal with. Herengawe was probably a horse that enjoyed being paddock-trained and even though he was Group Three placed in Sydney, he didn’t really settle.
“Hopefully Doctor Askar will put his best foot forward, but time will tell.” - NZ Racing Desk
Zhara booked for Jimmysstar
A fresh and raring to go Jimmysstar (NZ) (Per Incanto), taking on a classy field of sprinters – including a hard-fit Jigsaw (Manhattan Rain) in career-best form – it looks a mouthwatering William Reid Stakes on Saturday.
Jimmysstar is a triple G1 victor, a winner of five first-up efforts from seven, and was super behind the world’s best sprinter, Ka Ying Rising (NZ) (Shamexpress), at his last go over 1200m in the Everest.
At $1.90, the son of Per Incanto is the market’s clear top pick and another positive for Ben Asgari is the booking of Mark Zahra.
Chatting with Ciaron Maher’s Bloodstock Manager Will Bourne and Gareth Hall on Giddy Up, Asgari noted Zahra would have been booked on Observer (Ghyyaith) in the Rosehill Guineas and presumably a Golden Slipper chance, yet has elected to stay south.
“It’s a good push that Mark Zahra is happy enough to stay in Melbourne and ride him, and not head to Sydney,” Asgari said.
“You imagine he would have had some good options in Sydney too, with five G1s up there… (Observer) was the main one and he’s turned that down to stay and ride Jimmy.
“He’s top three jockeys in the country, for sure, and the best thing is, as a punter, you love putting your money on him.”
Asgari is also keen to see the noticeably more adaptable racing pattern Jimmysstar showed last campaign, which saw him settle a lot closer to the action.
Additionally, the Ciaron Maher team’s public intent, as well as Zahra’s glowing praise after Jimmysstar’s latest jumpout, are big ticks for the returning G1 galloper, even against the red-hot Jigsaw, who will likely be bowling along in front.
“He’s not going to be there first-up needing a run, like he normally would, because there’s the plan to run in the TJ Smith second-up,” Asgari said, echoing the stable’s comments earlier this week.
“Last preparation, he showed the ability to put himself into a race, and still be as effective, if not even more so… he doesn’t have to be out the back, he just makes him so hard to beat.
“The way Jigsaw is going, he’s going to be out in front, you’d imagine performing consistently as he has this preparation. He can’t be below his best, Jimmy, anyway.
“But without wanting to be too boring, I think Jimmy is clearly deserving of favouritism.”
CMR's Will Bourne confirmed the Maher camp is positive about this Saturday, to say the least.
“He’s low-flying, I’ve never heard them so bullish about the horse. Jack and Ciaron are just thrilled,” Bourne said.
“Zahra got off him at Cranbourne the other morning and just said ‘wowee'.” - Racing.com
NZ Racing Desk
Paul Vettise
Dennis Ryan
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