It is amazing to think a decade has passed since a Kiwi raider won the Victoria Derby.
There was a time when the Kiwi raiders owned Victoria’s premier three-year-old classic, taking home the trophy seven of eight years between Sharp And Telford’s win in 1996 to Bellas Boy’s triumph in 2003.
Then came another patch of New Zealand dominance with four wins in seven years from Courage To Rule saluting in 2010 and the great Lazarus crushing his rivals in 2016.
Other superstar Kiwis to have won the race include Courage Under Fire (1999) and Holmes DG (1998).
Times have changed, the Derby has moved from February to an October time slot and it’s nowhere near attractive to the Kiwis as it once was.
But exciting young Kiwi three-year-old Kotare Rimu is looking to wind back the clock.
Albeit in a transitional stage of his career having been sold to Aussie interests for serious money and on his way to Western Australian to join the powerful Greg and Skye Bond stable.
Kotare Rimu has raced 16 times, often against the best of his age in NZ, for four wins and five placings.
Last start he was a close-up third to NZ’s champion three-year-old Jumal in the 3YO Classic at Addington on September 25.
That’s when the deal was done to join Team Bond and the idea was sparked to potentially tackle the Victoria Derby on his way from NZ to Perth.
Top Victorian trainer Andy Gath has been entrusted by Team Bond to make the final call on whether Kotare Rimu tackles a heat of the Victoria Derby at Melton on Saturday night.
“We probably won’t make a final call until he works tomorrow (Thursday),” Gath said. “I haven’t laid eyes on him yet. He’s only just arrived in Sydney and is heading down to our stable (at Long Forest, near Melton).
“He’ll have to handle the travel well, be eating up and seem good when we work him to give it a shot.”
Gath hopes that’s the case.
“He’s good enough to win it based on what I’ve seen of him in NZ,” he said. “It’s a very even Derby this year. There are probably eight or 10 horses who can win it with the right luck.
“He’s been in the best races over there, ran fifth in their (3YO) Sires’ Stake final and he looks strong at the end of his races.
“Traditionally the Kiwis have a bit more grounding for these sorts of races than the Aussie horses.”
Kotare Rimu has drawn the back row (gate 10) in a Derby heat where Cardigan Dan (gate two), Soho Charmer (six) and Enjoy Life (nine) look the other key players.
In other stable news, Gath said he would give eight-time Group 1 winner Catch A Wave another go at Saturday week’s Victoria Cup.
The rising eight-year-old returned to winning form at Melton on September 19 and this will be his fourth crack at the Victoria Cup. His best run was a close second in 2023 before an eighth in 2024 and seventh last year.
“We’re taking him in fresh this time. It’ll be a month between runs and he won’t trial next week, which we’ve done a few times with him before in the week of the race,” he said.
PHOTOS:
1 & 2. Kotare Rimu – HRNZ/Race Images NZ
