He's Remarkable on Target for G.1 George Ryder

The talented entire He's Remarkable (NZ) made the best possible start to his Sydney autumn campaign yesterday with his first stakes victory in the Group 3 Newcastle Newmarket Handicap (1400m).

Trained by the in-form Roger James whose stable is on fire at present, He's Remarkable (Pentire x Axiom by Zabeel) was taken to Australia without a run in New Zealand with James declaring there was no suitable race for him on home shores.

Ridden by Corey Brown in yesterday's Group 3, He's Remarkable settled mid-field, racing one off the fence with cover. Turning for home Brown eased the four-year-old into the clear and the son of Pentire quickened impressively, taking the lead in the final 50 metres and winning by three-quarters of a length.

With a dry track crucial to the four-year-old's chances in the race, Roger James kept in close contact with Newcastle Jockey Club officials over the state of the track before making the call late last week to fly the horse over for the race.

A horse that has promised so much in his short career, He's Remarkable won the Group 1 Railway Stakes (1600m) in Perth in the spring before losing the race in a highly controversial protest which saw him relegated to second place.

Roger James will be out to amend the son of Pentire's Group 1 profile as he targets the Group 1 George Ryder Stakes (1500m) on April 7, and Australia's premier mile, the Group 1 Doncaster Mile, on April 21 at Randwick.

"It was not a gamble to bring him here, it was the first piece of the jigsaw," commented James.

"Traditionally this horse hits his peak at his third run into a preparation and in this case that race will be the Doncaster."

He's Remarkable will be out to claim the second Doncaster Mile for his sire Pentire who saw Rangirangdoo win the race in 2010. Rangirangdoo also won the George Ryder Stakes last season.

Bred by John & Colleen Thompson's Rich Hill Stud, He's Remarkable was purchased by Roger James at New Zealand Bloodstock's 2009 Karaka Premier Sale for $360,000. His 16 career starts have netted six wins for just shy of $700,000 in stakes.

Rich Hill Stud's resident sire Pentire is having a brilliant season at stud with two individual Group 1 winners on the track. His seven-year-old son (King) Mufhasa has won four Group 1 races this season, two of which have come in Australia, the Toorak Handicap and Futurity Stakes. The Karaka graduate has won a total of nine Group 1 races for his trainer Stephen McKee.

The sire of 36 stakes winners, 11 at Group 1 level, Pentire also saw his daughter Say No More win the Group 1 Thorndon Mile at Trentham earlier in the season.