By Larry Foley, Singapore Turf Club
The crowds were back at the Singapore racecourse on Saturday for the first time after two years and most would have expected a Lim’s stable victory in the feature event of the day.
And according to the race script, Lim’s Kosciuszko (Wong Chin Chuen) – who was sent out as the $10 favourite with stablemate and reigning Horse of the Year, Lim’s Lightning (Danny Beasley), the second-elect at $16 – would fight out the finish.
But obviously, the connections of Gold Star (Ronnie Stewart) did not read the script as it was a boilover win in the $100,000 Class 1 race over 1400m with the $92 chance winning by just under a length in no less than a new Course record of 1min 20.48 seconds!
The Gold Stable-owned, Tim Fitzsimmons-trained six-year-old brought some handy form into the race and with a lightweight (50kgs), he was always going to be strong late if the race was run to suit.
So, when Stewart – who finished with a treble on the day – had him camped behind Lim’s Kosciuszko in the running and with the race tempo strong as expected, he was always a winning show.
“It was his first run with blinkers over 1400m and while he’s not an easy horse to settle, if he was ever going to get speed on in a 1400m race, this was it,” explained Fitzsimmons.
“I said to Ronnie to just let him jump and settle, follow the good horse wherever he goes and he’s so honest he was always going to be involved late.
“And it’s just great for the Gold Stable. They have been very good to me and I wanted to win a good race for them.”
For Stewart – who rode his first winner at his current stint in Singapore in race 1 with Charger and completed the treble in the last with Silent Is Gold – the day was a relief more than anything.
“Look, it’s been mentally testing to bring the family up here and things haven’t unfolded the way I would have liked,” said Stewart.
“It’s been a bit different this time, but I have been sticking at it, riding a lot of work and starting to get a bit of good support.
“Even with Tim, I had a few rides for him early which didn’t work out, so it was nice to get the opportunity again and get the job done.”
And he got the job done indeed.
Settling beautifully off a good tempo behind the favourite was definitely the winning move by Stewart, but when Lim’s Kosciuszko – who had camped with intent on the flank of the expected leader, Fame Star (Jerlyn Seow) – kicked strongly at the 200m mark, the race looked over.
But under hard riding – and with the lightweight an obvious factor – Gold Star (by Redente) made up steady ground on the unbeaten favourite, before unleashing a winning burst at the 100m mark to knock in the biggest win of his career.
Although tasting defeat for the first time in his career, Lim’s Kosciuszko would have lost no friends heading towards the $1 million Group 1 Kranji Mile (1600m). Likewise, Hard Too Think (Iskandar Rosman) impressed when running on strongly into third, with Minister (A’Isisuhairi Kasim) eye-catching very late when finishing fourth.
And it may be the placegetters who garner the interest heading towards the Kranji Mile held on May 21, as Fitzsimmons was cold on even running the record-breaking 1400m winner over the mile.
“I just don’t think he will settle over the mile,” mused the affable Australian.
“I’ll talk to the owners, but maybe we will give him a break and set him for the (Group 1) Lion City Cup (1200m).”
The other piece in the Kranji Mile puzzle was run earlier in the day when the promising King’s Command won handsomely in the $85,000 Kranji Stakes B race over 1400m in Race 5.
Lucky Jinsha was sent out as the short-priced favourite on the back of five-straight wins and with Entertainer (Yusoff Fadzli) leading the field early, jockey Manoel Nunes had the equal topweight sitting on his flank, ready to make his move at the top of the straight.
But Lucky Jinsha didn’t kick as strongly as most pundits thought he would and with the race well and truly up for grabs at the 300m mark, the odds-on pop’s race was over.
No such problem for King’s Command though, who had the gun run behind Lucky Jinsha throughout before coming off his heels at the top of the straight, in what was a peach of ride by jockey Matthew Kellady.
With Spirit of Big Bang (Louis-Philippe Beuzelin) the only on-pace runner putting up any resistance, King’s Command hit his straps at the 250m mark before putting the race beyond doubt with his best work over the final furlong.
The five-year-old New Zealand-bred gelding by Tavistock won comfortably by just over one-and-a-quarter lengths, ahead of the strong-finishing Savvy Command (Akmazani Mazuki) with Leatherhead (Jake Bayliss) another three-quarters-of-a-lengths behind in third place. The winning time was 1 min 21.36secs.
His proud trainer, Shane Baertschiger, was glowing in his praise of the Ma Racing and Hi-Vis Stable-owned grey.
“He’s had less than twenty race starts (18) and is getting more mature with every run,” said Baertschiger.
“He raced handier last start and as they weren’t making ground today, we thought we would do that again, and he put himself there easily and got the job done.
“The Kranji Mile was always the plan. We knew he had ability on his good runs including the Gold Cup (last year), so we haven’t taxed him and the owners are enjoying the benefits of having a good horse.”
And the last words go to his hardworking and perhaps underrated stable jockey, Matthew Kellady:
“Bring on the Kranji Mile!”
Elsewhere on the eleven-race card meeting, apart from the drought-breaking treble from Stewart, Shafiq Rizuan rode a double, while in the trainers’ ranks, Baertschiger, Jerome Tan and Donna Logan shared the honours with two wins apiece.
