Kamaruddin brings up 100 wins

Te Akau apprentice jockey Joe Kamaruddin recorded his 100th career win on Wednesday when victorious aboard the Lance O’Sullivan and Andrew Scott-trained Remington Lad in the Mike Alton Mobile Engineering 1300 at Cambridge.

Kamaruddin was duly pleased with bringing up the milestone.

“I had to wait five weeks since Boomer won for me at Matamata, and I’m so happy,” he said. “I’m proud of myself and feeling more confident about what is to come.

“I never thought I would get to 100 wins this season, but I’ve had good support from my boss, David Ellis, other trainers and all the owners.

“I have been trying not to overthink and a lot of the times I was confident of winning races. Sometimes I would be too hard on myself, but when I just let the race happen it has been much better.”

Fifth in the premiership and leading apprentice with 62 wins this season, Kamaruddin began riding in 2019 and highlights include victories on Te Akau stablemates Markus Aurelius and Belle En Rouge, who tied for New Zealand Bloodstock Filly of the Year with stablemate Self Obsession.

He registered a hat-trick of wins aboard Markus Aurelius in 2021, while Belle En Rouge provided his first of four stakes wins last December in the Gr.3 Eulogy Stakes (1600m).

Kamaruddin made a significant impact in the tally of Jamie Richards this season, notching 10 wins in January alone for the leading trainer, while rewarding Mark Walker with his first stakes success on return as Te Akau trainer when Amalfi Prince won the Gr.3 Manawatu Classic (2000m) in April.

Kamaruddin is now under the leadership of Te Akau trainer Mark Walker.

“Joe is a great young man,” Walker said. “He’s an excellent example of what hard work and determination can bring about. 

“He had a pretty slow start to his apprenticeship as far as getting winners, but he kept trying his heart out, not just at work but race day as well, and once he got two or three winners everyone took note of just what a great attitude he has.

“Things have just continued to pick up for him. He’s leading his peers in the apprentice premiership and at Te Akau we’re all very proud of Joe.”

Squid Game thriving ahead of Flemington

Plumpton trainer Patrick Payne is heading to Flemington in a buoyant mood with his team on Satuday, and he is particularly pleased with New Zealand-bred gelding Squid Game ahead of his 1000m test.

The son of Shooting To Win has placed in his two starts this preparation and Payne is confident his charge can pick up a winning cheque this weekend. 

“He is in fantastic order. He just loves the 1000m up the straight. The straight takes away a bit of trouble he might get into,” Payne told RSN.

“From a trainer’s point of view, it is the best we have ever had him. He is really fit and well and runs really well up the straight.”

Squid Game was purchased by his trainer out of Inglewood Stud’s 2020 New Zealand Bloodstock Book 1 Yearling Sale draft for $150,000.

Aramis takes out the Grafton Guineas 

New Zealand-bred gelding Aramis made it back-to-back wins at Grafton on Wednesday when taking out the Grafton Guineas Quality (1600m).

The son of Contributer got up to win the three-year-old feature by a head in the hands of jockey Tom Sherry for trainer Mark Newnham.

The victory extended Aramis’ record to three wins and three placings from seven starts. 

Aramis was purchased out of Mapperley Stud’s 2020 New Zealand Bloodstock Ready To Run Sale draft by his trainer for $150,000.