Remington - Pure Steel'e'

Remington (4 g Darci Brahma - Kudamm, by Cape Cross) made it two wins and three seconds from five starts with a fresh-up victory in the $22,500 Pryde's Easifeed Rating 65 1200 metres on 22 September at Riccarton.

Following an encouraging trial on 28 August at Te Teko, Remington was ideally placed and with weight relief from in-form Te Akau apprentice Nik Bakar to carry 56kgs he won by one and a half lengths.

Drawn barrier 12 in a field of 17, things obviously needed to go right and they did. Able to secure a nice position in fifth onto the course proper, Remington was clear to challenge in centre track on straightening and once front at the 200m he required little more than a hand ride to assert his dominance.

On Good3 footing, he ran the 1200 metres in 1:09.4, the fastest of five races on the programme over 1200m, including an Open Handicap, and paid $5.30 & $2.10 on the NZ TAB.

The win capped a good day for trainer Jamie Richards and Bakar. Earlier in day, Bakar had won aboard stable-mate Miss Scandinavia (Smart Missile), Quattro Katie (Zoustar) gained valuable stakes form when finishing third in the Canterbury Belle Stakes (Listed, 1200m), while at Hastings, the tangerine colours were to the fore in winning the Gold Trail Stakes (Gr. 3, 1200m) with Avantage (Fastnet Rock) and the Windsor Park Plate (Gr. 1, 1600m) with Melody Belle.

Richards was taken with the winning performance by Remington in February at Wairoa, and his comments were vindicated by further success.

“It was another good, tough win,” Richards said. “He jumped away well, was caught a little bit wide and stuck at it like a horse that is certainly improving.

“He had trialled okay, but he does improve when he gets blinkers on and full credit to the team down South who presented him in good order. He can work his way through the grades, especially up to 1400 metres and a mile.

“He can be a bit lazy in training, but a horse that really fronts up on race day and should be in for a good six weeks leading in the (Cup Week) carnival.”

From the impressive winner and stakes placed mare Kudamm (Cape Cross), who notched three of her four wins over 1600 metres, Remington was purchased a yearling by David Ellis for $75,000, from the draft of Pencarrow Stud, at the 2016 New Zealand Bloodstock Select Sale, and owned by the Te Akau Remington Steele Syndicate.

“He's another good horse that we bought from Pencarrow,” Ellis said. “Sir Peter (Vela) and his Pencarrow Stud are terrific breeders in the Waikato, and the success I've had with buying horses carrying their ‘V in the Box' brand is quite incredible. They breed strong horses, that eat well, have quality pedigrees, good to train, and they win races.

“Remington is out of a really good mare, Kudamm. We trained Kudamm and thought she was our Oaks filly in her three-year-old season, but she had soundness problems and was retired. I always kept in the back of my mind that she could leave a really good horse.

“I bought Darci Brahma from Pencarrow and Mark (Walker) trained him to win five Group Ones, so it's great to have that knowledge of the family and obviously I love the Darci Brahma's.”

Ellis was also full of praise for young jockey, Nik Bakar.

“He's had seven wins from only thirteen rides, which is quite incredible,” Ellis said. “He really is the in-form apprentice in New Zealand.

“We always like to give the apprentices a chance. Te Akau has had a great record with apprentices in the past and I'm thrilled to see it continuing. Opie Bosson, Troy Harris, Sam Collett, Vinny Colgan, Daniel Stackhouse, and others, and of course Shafiq who is riding brilliantly.

“We take pride in our apprentice and in giving them a chance. Providing they work really hard we support them, and Nik is a classic example.”

Remington was strapped by Charlie Carroll.