3 minute read
A bountiful season has made joining the 2000-club a realistic target for Matamata jockey Michael Coleman.
The 45-year-old hoop goes into Saturday's Ruakaka meeting with 80 wins to his credit for the season, his best haul since the 2008-09 season when he claimed 106 wins.
Those wins have pushed his New Zealand career tally to 1821 and Coleman now believes joining David Walsh, Lance O'Sullivan, Bill Skelton, David Peake and Noel Harris is within reach.
"If you'd asked me that 12 months ago, I would probably have said 'no', but now 2000 isn't that far away," Coleman said.
"If I ride 70 winners for the next couple of seasons, I'm going to be pretty close to it. This year proved that I can still ride a good number of winners so it definitely looks an achievable target now."
Among Coleman's tally of wins this year have been Group One triumphs aboard Xanadu in the Windsor Park Plate (1600m) at Hastings and Costume in the Herbie Dyke Stakes (2000m) at Te Rapa.
That pair are at the forefront of his thinking when it comes to spring rides for Hastings as well.
"I've had a good year and I'm pleased with that. I had a good freshen up at the end of last year and the winners have just kept trundling in. I've had a lot of winners right through the season, but it's really picked up since Christmas."
Coleman, who enjoyed Group Two success aboard the Donna and Dean Logan-trained New Zealand Derby runner-up Rising Romance, teams up with the Ruakaka training duo to ride King Zeus in Saturday's $25,000 Donovans Trade Zone Whangarei Cup (2100m).
The Thorn Park gelding has won six of his 22 starts, all six coming from nine starts on his home track, including a resuming win over 1400m on the course two starts back. He was second to stablemate Candle In The Wind at the track over 1600m last start, beating home subsequent winner Te Rapa winner Spin Doctor.
"He's been going well. His last two runs have been really solid. His last run when he was beaten was even better than his previous run," Coleman said.
"He's got that terrific course record and he's going well so looks a top chance."
Coleman has a full book at Ruakaka, also reuniting with the Alan Tait-trained two-year-old Southern Icon in the $15,000 Northern Advocate 1000.
"When he was second to Copy Watch there last time, he did a few things wrong. If he had straightened up a lot quicker, he might have gone close to beating that horse," Coleman said.
"He looks a really nice horse. I was quite impressed with him. He might go on and be a contender in some of the better three-year-old races next season. He could develop into a Guineas horse."
Coleman was also looking forward to riding impressive debut winner Moochi Me at Ruakaka.
"He won well and really impressed me first-up. I don't just think he'll be a mudder either. He should go all right on top of the ground."
