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.”
