Beasley rides first winner back to Unique atmosphere
Comeback jockey Danny Beasley returned to the winner’s enclosure after he booted home the well-supported Lim’s Unique (Uncle Mo) in the opening event at Kranji yesterday.
After a stint as an assistant trainer to Daniel Meagher, the Golden Slipper-winning jockey came out of retirement to ride at his first meeting back last week.
He did not finish in the money with four unfancied rides on that occasion, but made no mistake on live chance Lim’s Unique ($13) in the Class 5 Division 1 race over 1200 metres on Polytrack.
“It’s great to get that first winner back early, there’ll be less pressure on my shoulders. It was very different, though, with the empty grandstand, it felt surreal, but that is the new normal now,” he said.
“Last week was all a bit rushed going into that first day back. So it was all about blowing the cobwebs out and get some fitness under the belt.
“I was looking forward to the next meeting and I made Lim’s Unique my best chance. I thought he’d be very competitive in Class 5 and he didn’t disappoint.”
After a clean break from his wide alley, the four-year-old, who boasted only one win from his previous dozen of starts, led a fairly strung-out field before Beasley cued him off to an easy length and three-quarters win from St Alwyn (Epaulette), with Diamond Mine (Gingerbread Man) another quarter of a length away in third.
Meagher said he couldn’t help feel a touch emotional as he went down to lead in his good mate’s first winner back.
“It’s just good to see such a good jockey getting his licence back and riding a winner so early. He’s so dedicated and he’s come back like he’s never left,” said the fellow Australian.
“He’s been a very close friend for a very long time, he’s been a massive part of my life. It’s so good to see him back into it again, it’s such a good story, isn’t it?
“I’m sure he’ll get a lot more opportunities from now on and from the other bigger stables, and I have no doubt he’ll keep riding winners for everybody.”
Bounty hunts down leading pick for upset win
Winless for almost a year, Darc Bounty (Darci Brahma) returned to form in yesterday’s Class 3 race over 1100 metres as he enjoyed a charmed run before getting the better of Celavi (Fighting Sun) and Water Rocket (Orpen) in the smart time of 1min 4.5 seconds.
Despite the seven-year-old’s losing spell, his trainer Stephen Gray said he was quite bullish.
“I knew he would run well today,” Gray said. “He trialled well last week and he was back to his class. At his last couple of runs, he was caught wide.
“Well done to S Noh as he did all the hard work to get down to 56 kilograms. This horse has a good machine in Class 3, he has got down to the right class.
“At the 200 metres, I wasn’t sure he was good enough to beat the favourite (Celavi), but he’s a good honest horse.”
Hard Too Think owners can’t be here: Gray
Hard Too Think’s (All Too Hard) pulsating win had his trainer Stephen Gray feeling both stoked and also a little despondent about the hollowness of a victory without the owners on hand.
Since the imposition of Covid-19 restrictions when racing resumed in July, only one owner and one guest are allowed to go to the races.
With Hard Too Think raced by a new syndication of ten owners, the group opted for the ‘all of us or nothing’ motto.
“Hard Too Think is raced by a group of owners, mostly local, that I put together before Covid-19. Some are foreigners and some are stuck overseas,” said Gray.
“They want to be here and enjoy their races, have some food and drinks, but they can’t do it now.”
Gray, however, remained optimistic the bunch would eventually get to give their pride and joy a well-deserved pat on the neck at the winner’s stall one day.
“He’s a very nice horse, but it’s just that at his last start, he was poorly ridden. He should have led but he was caught four to five wide,” said Gray.
“At his previous run, he missed the start, was pushed back and it was too late in the end. Luckily, the owners have been patient and left me to it.
“He is a stayer but there are limited opportunities for him on grass. It was tempting to run him over 2000 metres the other day, but I didn’t, I gave him a freshen-up and it’s paid off today.”
Gray was also full of admiration of Marc Lerner’s handling of his fourth winner of the year.
“He trialled good with Marc last week, it was a nice soft run. Marc is strong and can ride light, he suits this horse.”
Sun Ops scores impressive win on debut
Former Sydney speedster Sun Ops ( I Am Invincible) blazed away to sizzling win on his Kranji debut when he proved to be too strong for his rivals in the Class 4 Division 1 race (1000m).
A two-time winner over 900 metres in Newcastle when known as Covert Ops for Sun Bloodstock and Gerald Ryan, the four-year-old made use of his early gate speed to score as an $8 hotpot, beating Cousteau (Exceed And Excel) by two and a half lengths. Sky Eye (Per Incanto) was another three parts of a length away in third.
The winning time was a slick 58.24 seconds, about the same time he clocked in his barrier trials.