Horse racing: Nabba's a Ryder of the best type

An excited Michael McNab salutes after his victory aboard Pacific Dragon. Photo / Trish Dunell

Newly-crowned champion jockey Michael McNab stamped a black type exclamation mark on his season when Pacific Dragon won the $60,000 Courtesy Ford Ryder Stakes at Te Rapa on Saturday.

And in doing so he won his last remaining personal battle of the season, shading mate Opie Bosson for the most successful black type jockey of the year as well.

McNab had his first jockey's premiership wrapped up well before he walked on to Te Rapa yesterday but signed off in style, riding two winners including the Ryder, which had been moved from the cancelled Otaki meeting to Te Rapa.

That move provided McNab will the opportunity to pass Bosson for the most black type wins for the season, as Pacific Dragon wouldn't have travelled to Otaki had the meeting gone ahead on a very heavy track there as programmed.

The Ryder victory was still anything but push button with McNab firing Pacific Dragon forward but there was no easy lead for him and the filly was left in front with multiple challengers at the top of the straight.

She fought them all off including the other well-backed filly Sophmaze to give McNab the last piece of his premiership puzzle as well as trainer Tony Pike a bonus black type win.

"If the race had gone to Otaki on the heavy down there we wouldn't have gone," said Pike.

"This was the winter win we wanted all along with her because black type wins are so valuable for two-year-old fillies and she deserved it after winning the Eclipse at Ellerslie on New Year's Day but being relegated.

"So I am thrilled the race was saved and also for Nabba because it caps what has been a huge season for him." Pike has been one of McNab's biggest supporters during both famines and feasts and believes the 36-year-old rider will continue on with his new-found level of dedication and success.

Pacific Dragon could even be an early-season star for the pair new term as Pike says some of the fillies and three-year-old races in the spring may be more logical targets than the 1000 Guineas on a firm Riccarton track in November.

"Eventually she will probably end up in Victoria because she was originally purchased by Henry Dwyer (trainer) and his mates over there," explains Pike.

"But they have been really good about it and aren't putting any pressure on to rush her over there for her three-year-old season."

While McNab was the star of the final day of the thoroughbred racing season Pike was in hot pursuit as he trained River Run to win the day's other feature, the $50,000 Taumaranui Cup.

The seven-year-old has struck the most purple patch of form and the Cup was his third win in 21 days, this time carrying 60kgs effortlessly for jockey Kozzi Asano.

Pike's double sees him finish a clear third on the national trainer's premiership behind the now Hong Kong-based Jamie Richards and Stephen Marsh.