Frenchman rides first Aussie city winner
11 July
By Mark Ryan
aapracingFrench jockey Remi Tremsal landed his first metropolitan winner in Australia when Tasmanian stayer Geejayhaitch revelled in the heavy going to score at Sandown.
Tremsal, 32, has lived in Melbourne for the past three years but it wasn't until April last year he was able to start riding.
"I had to get a work visa before I could start riding," he said.
Tremsal started travelling to Tasmania to ride on Sundays from mid-November and has had a good deal of success there, landing 30 winners.
The jockey said he rode 160 winners in France, mostly on provincial tracks.
"I rode some winners in Paris including a Listed race on Derby Day," he said.
Tremsal, who rides at 52kg, said he decided to come to Australia after a stint in Mauritius.
Geejayhaitch ($8), prepared at Broadmarsh by Walter McShane, came from the back in the Le Pine Funeral Services Hcp (2400m) to win by 1-1/4 lengths from Monocracy ($17) with Aggregate ($9) 4-1/4 lengths away third.
Meanwhile, Defining, who was brought out from England with last year's Melbourne Cup in mind, broke through for his first Australian win on Wednesday.
The David Hayes-trained gelding didn't make it to the Cup after failing to measure up and found his way to Thursday's Lincoln Hcp (3000m) restricted to horses who hadn't won a metropolitan event in the past year.
One of Defining's best runs in 11 starts for the Hayes stable was when he was fifth to New Kid In Town in the Andrew Ramsden Stakes (3200m) at Sandown three starts back on May 19.
Ridden by stable apprentice Dean Holland, Defining ($5 eq fav) raced away in the heavy conditions to score by 2-3/4 lengths from The Pentagon ($10) with Isenikenoff ($5 eq fav) 1-3/4 lengths away third.
"I don't know if he's a wet tracker as he hadn't placed in five runs on slow tracks before today," said assistant trainer Gary Fennessy.
"He came out for the Melbourne Cup but he lost interest.
"He hasn't the best joints and does most of his work on the galloping machine at the stables.
"Every now and then we take him out for a track gallop just to give him a bit of variety."
As far as his future goes, Defining looks destined to go over the jumps.
"He has got his ticket but he's not what you call a good jumper," Fennessy said of the rising nine-year-old.
In England, Defining was a stakeswinner over 3259m at Ascot in September 2004 and Group Two-placed behind Franklins Gardens in the Yorkshire Cup (2796m) in May 2005.
"He's the sort of horse you have to keep at," said Holland whose three-kilo allowance brought topweight Defining in with 55kg.
