Sourcing thoroughbreds off the track reignited Hannah Gudsell’s love for the racing game, with the help of a surprise talent in Pearl Furu. 

Gudsell grew up near Phar Lap Raceway in Timaru, shadowing her grandmother Thelma Foley, who trained for a number of years, including alongside her late partner Peter South, trainer of the ‘Washdyke Wonder’ Grey Way. 

“I’d grown up around thoroughbreds and got the bug from a young age, I would be led around on them before Nana would ride them on the track,” she said. 

“I had a few ponies growing up before getting out of horses, but I ended up going back and riding trackwork a little bit for all of those people at Phar Lap Raceway.” 

Relocating from South Canterbury, Gudsell attended Massey University and studied a Bachelor of AgriScience, going on to be employed as Territory Manager in the Lower North Island for Dunstan Horsefeeds. 

Gudsell’s first off-the-track thoroughbred had been a former member of Foley’s stable, and following this, she came across an ex-Hong Kong galloper named Pearl Furu, advertised through EventStars. A son of Fully Fledged out of a Howbaddouwantit mare, Pearl Furu began his career in New Zealand under the name of Furuvik, in the care of trainers Murray Baker and Andrew Forsman.

After winning his maiden in March of 2015, Pearl Furu was sold to Hong Kong, where he would go on to win two races and place a further nine. 

Upon returning to his homeland in 2020, the gelding entered Gina Schick’s rehoming organisation and Gudsell took him home for free, with the expectation of having a ‘happy hacker’ to enjoy. In the near-half decade since, ‘Foo’ has proven himself both in and out of the competition arena. 

“Foo is my good horse, I got him through EventStars about four and a half years ago,” Gudsell said. 

“He was a freebie, and no one wanted him because he was probably destined to be a happy hacker, but that’s all I wanted, just something with a really good brain. I would’ve been pretty stoked if he popped around some 80-90cm tracks, but fast-forward to now, he’s eventing at 1* and at Amateur Rider level in showjumping. 

“He does everything, you can hack him around the farm, shift stock on him, he’s around pet lambs, dogs, he’s just what everyone needs. He’s just got the biggest heart and the best brain. 

“I can see the amount of life experience he’s had living in Hong Kong, the only thing he didn’t know was how to back out of a float for the first wee while, but other than that, nothing has ever been a drama.” 

Gudsell advocates for the versatility and trainability of Pearl Furu, something she sees as a common theme through the thoroughbred. 

“I think it’s really important for amateur riders to know that a thoroughbred is a really good option, as long as you manage them well, you’ll have an absolute ball,” she said. 

“I think they are willing to learn and are very trainable, if you crack on and ride them four or five times a week. I think through that routine, they’ll find that their horses want to do a job.” 

Outside of her own horses, Gudsell has continued to further her involvement in the industry through her position at Dunstan and hopes to break into the breeding and training space in the future. 

“I really enjoy the role because I get to work with trainers, studs and agistment facilities,” she said. 

“I’m able to stay involved in the industry, which is a bit dangerous for me at times, I was at the trials and offered one person $2,000 for their horse and not just because he was a grey. Unfortunately for me, that horse is likely to be a jumper with Kevin Myers after flat racing.

“I do have a share in a jumper called Fabian Hawk, who is with Niall Quinn at Turakina. I also have an interest in a couple of two-year-olds with a guy I help out, a Time Test and King Of Comedy. It gives me a way into the industry.

“My plan is to look into pinhooking a weanling out of the Weanling Sale with a few friends and once I get my own property I’ll look to get a couple of mares off gavelhouse that are already in-foal, with the view of dabbling in training a little bit. I would never be a 40-horse trainer, but I’d like to be one of the small guys in the industry, with horses that will also be nice to re-train off the track.”