He’s Remarkable completed a trans-Tasman double for Rich Hill Stud sire Pentire and trainer Roger James at Flemington on Saturday.

He’s Remarkable (4h Pentire – Axiom by Zabeel) made amends for a last-start failure at Moonee Valley with a narrow victory in the Visit Victoria Hcp (1600m).  He lumped 59kg to defeat Eraset (Reset) and Finiguerra (Niello).  

James was in a philosophical mood after the victory.  The Cambridge based trainer had been keen to start his gelding in the G1 Emirates Stakes but was balloted out.  “The rain cost us at Moonee Valley,” he explained.  “He’s a horse that’s pretty dependant on hard tracks and we needed to win the Crystal Mile to qualify for the Emirates.”

He’s Remarkable cost $360,000 from Rich Hill at the 2009 NZB Karaka Premier Sale draft at Karaka.  His dam Axiom is a daughter of G2 Villiers Stakes winner Arletty and the family includes G1 winners Legs and Guyno.

Pentire sired the first leg of his double when promising stayer The Terminator won the Coca Cola Stayers Hcp (2200m) at Ellerslie on Tuesday.

The Terminator (5g Pentire – Tipper Too by Trempolino) has now won 4 of his 16 starts and looms as a genuine summer cups’ contender for James.  His dam was a stakes winner in the United States and has now produced winners in New Zealand, North America and in Japan.

James paid $82,500 for The Terminator from the Rich Hill consignment at the 2008 NZB Karaka Premier Sale.  The Cambridge trainer returned the following year to buy his younger brother C’Est Magnifique for $90,000.  He has won twice this year and was runner-up at Te Rapa on Saturday.

Rich Hill has catalogued another brother for Karaka in 2012.  

Pentire began the season a buoyant note when his NZ Horse of the Year King Mufhasa won the G1 Makfi Challenge at Hastngs before adding the G1 Toorak Hcp at Caulfield.