Seirios Gets Serious

The second of Te Akau's Matamata winners resumed his new campaign where he left off his last ... in winning fashion ...

Although four months apart, Seirios (4 g Pierro - Irish Lights, by Fastnet Rock) made it back-to-back victories on 12 September at Matamata, in the $10,000 Waikato Branch NZ Farriers Association Rating 65 1400 metres.

Seirios came of age in the autumn, with two starts resulting in a fresh-up second before always travelling like the winner in his victory at Waipa, and following a spell he stepped up with immediate success in the next grade.

Also creating a good record, Te Akau apprentice Nik Bakar recorded his third win from only five rides and once showed some promising attributes.

Away well from barrier four, Bakar had a slight battle on his hands getting Seirios to settle in front, but managed to button off the pace between the 800m and 400m before seeing off challengers in the straight, winning by a short head.

Under clear skies, on improving Slow7 footing, Seirios ran the 1400 metres in 1:25, last 600m in 37, and paid $3.80 & $1.70.

“Nik (Bakar) judged it well because the horse pulled quite hard early but he rated him, found plenty in the straight and it was a very good win,” said stable representative Scott Lucock.

“He's been patiently handled by Jamie (Richards), who let him go at the right time, put him on some nice horses and he's got a great strike rate at the moment.”

From Group One winner Irish Lights (Fastnet Rock), Seirios was purchased by David Ellis at the 2016 Magic Millions Gold Coast Yearling Sale, from the draft of Coolmore Stud, and owned by the Te Akau 2016 Breeding Syndicate.

Irish Lights won the Thousand Guineas (Gr. 1, 1600m) at Caulfield, and five-time Group One winning sire Pierro (Lonhro) only ever ran in stakes races, winning eleven of his fourteen starts, and the unbeaten two-year-old Triple Crown winner amassed A$4.5 million.

“He's always been a lovely horse that has taken time to mature, but he's won his last two starts and I can see him continuing to go through the grades,” Ellis said.

“We've got some lovely horses in the stable by Pierro and we've got a lot of time for the stallion. I think he's a really good stallion in the making.

“Nik (Bakar) is doing a great job for us and tomorrow (Thursday) he's going down South to ride Swing Note again. He's the in-form apprentice in New Zealand at the moment and Shafiq has had ten wins for the season and equal first in the premiership.

“It was Jamie's ninth win for the season and that also puts him equal first in the premiership, so both our trainer and riders are going very well, and Jamie has a phenomenal strike rate of 2.4. It's a fantastic result for all the staff. They've all worked very hard through the winter and they're getting a thrill out of the wins too.”

Seirios was strapped Jahmane Jahmane Murray-Bromwich.

Photo credit - www.raceimages.co.nz