On Saturday, January 11, Samantha Fletcher kicked off her 2025 racing season by guiding the seasoned gelding Buzz Assault to a hard-fought victory in competitive event.
This race was for contenders aged four and older, attracted a deep field of participants including several native-bred six-year-olds and above competing in an Optional Claiming format of $350,000 to $250,000.
Buzz Assault, an eight-year-old grey/roan gelding trained by Ryan Williams, won over 5 ½ furlongs.
As the race unfolded, it became clear that Fletcher's understanding of race dynamics played a pivotal role in the outcome. She executed a well-planned ride, keeping Buzz Assault positioned strategically just behind the front-runner, Nuttin But Trouble, skillfully piloted by Oshane Nugent.
As they approached the half-mile mark, everything changed when Fletcher made her move. With a decisive burst of speed, she urged Buzz Assault into the lead. The gelding responded beautifully, pulling ahead with determination, quickly establishing a significant gap between himself and his rivals.
Despite showing signs of fatigue as they raced into the final furlong, Buzz Assault had built up enough of a lead to stave off any late challenges. His competitors—Conundrum, ridden by Andrew Wright, and Last Dance, under the guidance of Richie Shakes—mounted strong efforts to close the distance, but Buzz Assault remained resolute, crossing the finish line a comfortable length and a quarter ahead of them.
The race concluded with an impressive winning time of 1:10.1, divided into splits of 23.3 seconds for the opening quarter and 47.2 seconds at the half-mile mark.
