Lord Zirito was as tough as teak, and when the tracks turned heavy he put his gumboots on and sheer blasted through the mud

By the French-bred sire ZAMAZAAN, out of a Kiwi mare in GNAPAL, LORD ZIRITO, known as LORDY to his fans has a few claims to fame as an enduring campaigner who displayed remarkable resilience over a long career that would probably be considered excessive in this era. He provided his proud owners with considerable excitement during his time in racing with his incredible versatility and numerous accomplishments, both on the flat and over the jumps. A highly popular horse of the era, his lasting qualities and toughness in the most challenging of conditions were greatly admired by racing enthusiasts up and down the country.

LORD ZIRITO entered Craig Leishman's life through an advertisement in The Sunday Times, alongside trainer Graeme Rogerson, (in partnership with Keith Hawtin). initiating a lasting and prosperous collaboration. This marked Craig's initial foray into horse ownership, and the triumphs achieved with Lord Zirito solidified his commitment to the sport. Lord Zirito probably gave them the biggest thrill when he won the Wellington Steeplechase as a rising 13-year-old.

LORD ZIRITO achieved 21 victories across an impressive 113 career starts, demonstrating exceptional performance in the worst track conditions imaginable. His racing career commenced in May 1985 at Counties as a two-year-old. Following his gelding, he secured his maiden win at Ellerslie in June 1986 on a heavy track during his fifth start, with Gary Grylls in the saddle. This was succeeded by another significant victory, also at Ellerslie, with Tony Allan as the jockey. A hat trick was subsequently achieved with a two-length win at Counties in August 1986, under the guidance of jockey Gary Stewart.

LORD ZIRITO achieved his fourth consecutive victory at Te Rapa, with Gary Stewart once again serving as jockey. Following a period of varied results, including several placings and some unplaced finishes, he secured another win in June 1987 at Ellerslie, under the guidance of Lance O’Sullivan. This was promptly followed by an additional triumph at Ellerslie, with Lance retaining the ride, bringing his record to six wins from nineteen starts. In August 1987, LORD ZIRITO secured two consecutive victories, with Warwick Robinson taking the reins, once again on heavy ground. Subsequently, after a period of injury and a hiatus, his next triumph occurred at Ellerslie in July 1989, over hurdles ridden by Toby Autridge.

This marked the initial victory in a subsequent series of three consecutive wins for LORDY. The following triumph occurred on the flat at Counties, succeeded by another hurdle victory at Ellerslie, with Toby once again serving as the jockey. Furthermore, this impressive streak extended to four consecutive wins with a victory on the flat (2100m) at Te Rapa, with Darrel Lang now in the saddle. This was then followed by a second-place finish by a half-length at Counties, preceding yet another victory at Te Rapa in September. This individual clearly enjoyed his role as a racehorse, especially when the heavens opened.

In October, Lord Zirito crossed the Tasman to compete in The Metropolitan (2600m) at Randwick resulting in a midfield finish. The good track conditions may not have been advantageous, as Lordy had previously demonstrated superior performance on heavier ground. Upon returning to New Zealand, he got back to his winning ways with another victory in its first start at Te Rapa, with Gary Stewart aboard. That year, the horse did not perform well in either the Rotorua Cup or the NZ Cup; however, he subsequently won a listed race at Counties in May on soft ground, with Peter Tims as the jockey.

In June 1991, LORD ZIRITO returned to Australia, initially to Queensland and subsequently to NSW; however, his endeavors were limited due to persistent dry conditions in the Brisbane and Sydney regions. He then proceeded to Victoria, where he achieved two placings in hurdle races, preparing for his Flemington debut on Melbourne Cup Day - once again encountering a firm track. Lord Zirito participated in the Melbourne Cup Hurdle, enhancing the experience of an iconic day for the owner. Under the guidance of jockey Brett McDonald (James’ dad), Lord Zirito, with odds of $18 delivered a commendable performance, maintaining a strong second position for the majority of the race, leading into the final hurdles, and ultimately securing a close fifth-place finish.

Following his return to New Zealand, LORD ZIRITO achieved a notable victory in May 1992 at Ellerslie. Under the guidance of jockey Peter Tims, he secured a narrow win in the Great Northern Hurdles (4190m) by a nose after a ding dong battle to the line with SOUNDS FAIR competing in one of his hardest fought wins. Subsequently, he would then go on to claim his first win over the big jumps in the Eric Riddiford Steeplechase at Trentham in July 1993, with Rick Cassidy aboard.

Unfortunately, he did not secure any victories throughout 1994. His next win occurred in May 1995, over the hurdles at Te Rapa, with Peter Tims once again serving as the jockey. While attempting to win the Waikato Hurdles, he unseated Peter with two jumps to go, clipping the top and the hoop just jumped off. Redemption was achieved as Lord Zirito secured his second victory in the Great Northern Hurdles at Ellerslie, triumphing by a significant 6.5 lengths. Following this, Lordy, with Brett Scott as the rider, went on to win both the Western Park Steeplechase and the Wellington Steeplechase (5500m) at Trentham in July 1995, leading from the 1000m on a very heavy track.

This prestigious win marked his final victory prior to retirement. He secured a decisive win, evidenced by a 15-length lead, demonstrating a superior performance against his competitors, with Brett peering between his legs looking for the opposition. Lord Zirito competed in five additional races, concluding his career in May 1996 with a hurdles race at Te Rapa, ridden by Peter Tims for the last time. He achieved a commendable fifth place before ceasing his racing career.

During his racing career, LORD ZIRITO accumulated a remarkable collection of statistics and noteworthy achievements. While GREY WAY holds the top position with 50 career wins and more race starts, Lord Zirito's impressive 21 victories firmly establish him among New Zealand's elite winter racehorses. His stats as a glance are quite remarkable.

● 13 wins on the flat (79 starts), 3 Steeplechases (10 starts) and 5 over hurdles (24 starts)

● 20 wins in Heavy going, one on Soft and zero on Firm (using the old categories)

● Raced until 14 years of age - equal oldest to win the Wellington Steeplechase, aged 12, in 1995. (The others were ORIENT in 1890, HAYDN in 1907, TEAK in 1971 and AMANOOD LAD in 2017)

● Won two Great Northern Hurdles

● Won 7 races between 1800-2100m (28 starts) and 7 races between 2500-7000m (34 starts)

● 1995 Champion Jumper, Horse of the Year awards

● Oldest horse racing in NZ at one stage

LORD ZIRITO demonstrated remarkable consistency and achieved commendable results throughout his extensive career, despite encountering various challenges, including a notable incident at Ellerslie somersaulting over a jump and occasional lower placings. Retiring at the age of 14, he lived to be 27 years old. He was an exceptionally resilient and beloved racehorse, despite his diminutive stature (under 15 hands), who clearly relished his profession. His sire ZAMAZAAN at Keith Burley's Carlyle Stud produced some high quality, tough stayers, such as BEAU ZAM, Sydney Cup winners GOOD LORD and VELOSO, and Caulfield Cup winner LORD REIMS among 58 Stakes winners. It was no wonder he was tough as old boots.

LORD ZIRITO provided his ownership group with significant enjoyment from his inaugural race in May 1985 until his final appearance in May 1996, spanning an impressive 11-year period. They don't make them like that anymore and LORDY was most certainly, one of a kind.

RACE RECORD - 113: 21-14-10

RACE EARNINGS - $339,224

Wellington Steeplechase

Great Northern Hurdles 1992/1995

Wrightson Hurdles

KMart Hurdles

Eric Riddiford Steeplechase

Westpark Steeplechase

Oliver Nicholson Handicap

Trelawney Stud Handicap