Kotare Rimu a chance to contest Victoria Derby

By Adam Hamilton 

A workout on Thursday morning will decide whether classy former Kiwi pacer Kotare Rimu has a crack at a Victoria Derby heat at Melton on Saturday night.

Master Victorian trainer Andy Gath has been entrusted to make the final call by his trainers-to-be, Greg and Skye Bond.

Team Bond and its clients recently bought Kotare Rimu, who raced 16 times for Ross Houghton, often at the top level, 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.

“We probably won’t make a final call until he works on 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 wasn’t going to make it to WA in time for their Derby, so Bondy (Greg Bond) spoke with me about our Derby,” he said.

“He’s good enough to win it based on what I’ve seen of him in NZ.

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.

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 nearly as attractive to the Kiwis as it once was on the calendar or with prize money.