Boy wins the Golden Horseshoe in Great style
Greatham Boy (Stratosphere) proved that trainer Michael Clements was spot on about his ability on the turf after the talented sprinter put his two-year-old rivals to the sword where it mattered in the Singapore Golden Horseshoe (Listed, 1200m) yesterday.
Jumping on terms in the only feature race for juveniles in Singapore, Greatham Boy settled in third behind Big Max (Charm Spirit) and Cheerful Baby (Brazen Beau) in the full field of 16.
Turning for home, jockey Daniel Moor upped the ante on the son of Stratosphere (Snitzel) surged to the front alongside Big Max. Favourite Silo (National Defense), who took a course four-wide without cover in the running, and Fire (Shalaa) came home well, but they were too late.
Greatham Boy fended off Silo by a length while Artillery (Smart Missile) stormed home on the outside another half-a-length away. Bakeel (Sioux Nation) ran another head away in fourth.
“He (Greatham Boy) did great first-up on the Polytrack. Celavi raced a lot on the Polytrack too but he’s (Greatham Boy) showed that he’s got it on the turf,” the Zimbabwean-born Clements said.
“He showed us a lot of quality from the beginning and also in his trials in Australia and here. He’s a horse that’s very focused right from the beginning. He’s smart.
“Daniel [Moor] did all the work and trialled on him initially. He would have ridden him first-up but he (Greatham Boy) only carried 50 kilograms then, but he’s been set to ride the horse from the start.”
Besides Greatham Boy, Clements also booted home two other winners on the card, Pacific Warrior (Snitzel) in the Jupiter Gold 2018 Stakes, a Class 4 Division 1 race (1400m), and Pacific Emperor (Caravaggio) in the Spalato 2014 Stakes, a Class 2 race (1400m).
Clements has now turned the tables on trainer Jason Ong, who took home one winner in So Hi Class (Dark Angel), and now sits on top of the trainers’ log with 30 wins.
With two wins in as many starts, Greatham Boy has taken his earnings to a tick under $100,000 in prize-money for the Greatham Boy Stable.