Mowhawk Brave - Very Brave

Given a great ride by Te Akau apprentice Niranjan Parmar, Mohawk Brave (3 g Extreme Choice - Ben's Duchess, by Munnings) made a winning debut in $12,000 Donaghys Pro-Diary Maiden 3YO 1000 metres on 28 October at Te Aroha.

Just days after celebrating his first success aboard stable-mate Excitonic (Savabeel) at Te Rapa, Parmar (24) made it consecutive winning rides.

Having ridden the horse in each of three trials for Fortuna Mohawk Brave Syndicate (Mgr: John Galvin), most recently when dashing home to win very well on 14 October at Taupo, Parmar was again posed the challenge from a rearward position.

Back inner approaching the home turn, he seized a gap early in the home straight and, aided by the four-kilo allowance to carry 53.5kg, Mohawk Brave changed stride at the 200m and flattened out with a good turn of foot.

On Dead4 footing, Mohawk Brave ran 1000 metres in 59.0 and paid $3.30 & $1.40 on NZ TAB.

“He's a horse that shaped up well at the trials,” said trainer Jamie Richards. “It was a good win and he's got improvement in him, as well.

“We're trying to get Parmar on some nice horses and fortunately he was able to ride his first winner on Excitonic and backed it up with another nice ride on Mohawk Brave. He's a horse that gets back in running, but he gave him every chance and I was very happy with the way he was able to win.

“He's by a very exciting stallion, Extreme Choice, and if we can keep him together there's no doubt he can get through to win a few more races.

“He's been at the Main Stable, now at the Colt Barn, and everyone has done a good job with him.”

By Not A Single Doubt (Redoute's Choice) sire Extreme Choice, whose first two-year-old winner, Palamos, was trained by Richards to win last October at Te Rapa, before making it two from two in December at Ellerslie. Extreme Choice is a dual Group 1 winning sprinter standing at Newgate Farm, N.S.W, while dam Ben's Duchess (Munnings) was a Group 3 winner over 1307 metres in America.

With his oldest crop now three-year-olds, Leading First Season Sire in Australia Extreme Choice has already sired horses to win 18 races, six at stakes level, including Golden Slipper (Gr. 1, 1200m) winner Stay Inside.

“We're always excited to get winners and it's very satisfying on several fronts,” said Fortuna Syndications director John Galvin.

“Firstly, when we bought him back in January at the Inglis Digital Sale he was starting to make his mark and only continued to do so. He was a horse that had been bought by James Harron Bloodstock for $160,000 at the Inglis Classic Sale, and when decided he wouldn't be a stallion prospect they put him on the market.

“Paying $65,000 is at top end of what we normally spend, so he was well sought, but we managed to beat the opposition off. Originally we were buying him for Singapore, but given uncertainty regarding travel arrangements, we thought we'd do what we did with Navalha (Sebring) and bring him here to New Zealand.

“We've bought about 12 horses to be trained by Mark Walker in Singapore, and all bar one, with the same sort of profile, have been to the races and won. And now both Navalha and Mohawk Brave have been trained by Jamie (Richards) to win in New Zealand.

“Mark (Walker) picked this horse out and brought it to my attention.  His hocks aren't great, so he's a horse that requires some management. Water walker after a race and three or four weeks between runs etc, but I think he can do a bit.”

Galvin has also been pleased with rides by Parmar at both the trials and race day.

“Always happy to give the apprentices an opportunity,” he said. “I could see he was starting to ride well and I thought it was a lovely ride today, too, because he's inclined to get back that horse and over 1000 metres, but he didn't panic, spied the gap as they turned for home and was able to exploit that.

“It was a really nice ride. He sits well on a horse and when I've spoken to him at the trials I've found him to be a good communicator. He's got a bit of maturity, knows what he's doing and that's good to see.”

Record-breaking trainer Jamie Richards, coming off a season that realised over 160 wins (surpassing the previous 143), including 40 stakes wins, in New Zealand and Australia, is going along nicely and leads the premiership with 26 wins.

Mohawk Brave was strapped by Ellen Osbourne.

Photo credit - www.raceimages.co.nz