Champion trainer Clements starts 2021 with a bang courtesy of Mortal Engine
Freshly-minted Singapore champion trainer Michael Clements picked up where he left off in 2020 when newcomer Mortal Engine (Unencumbered) provided him with a first winner of the new year at the season opener yesterday.
Having saddled a treble at the last meeting in 2020 to conclude a wonderful season on 61 winners, the Zimbabwean-born handler showed he had no intentions of letting up on his winning momentum at only the second race yesterday, the $75,000 Prosperity Stakes, a Restricted Maiden race over 1200 metres.
A former unplaced runner at his only start in Australia, Mortal Engine took up the running from his handy barrier in two before handing up the lead to Bad Boy Black (Gingerbread Man) to take a drop in third place, nicely tucked away on the rails.
Turning for home, jockey Louis-Philippe Beuzelin duly angled Mortal Engine out for his run, mastering Bad Boy Black rather easily, but had to contend with Ironprince (Smart Missile), who had peeled off his back to issue a stinging challenge inside the last furlong.
But the finishing line came in time for the $14 favourite who hung in by a head from Ironprince with Kwoi Hoi (Danerich) third, another two and three-quarter lengths away. The winning time was 1.10.97.
Clements said he had been confident of a forward showing from the new Tivic Stable newcomer at his maiden outing, but the heavy showers the whole country has come under in recent days had dampened his enthusiasm a little.
“He was pretty disappointing at his only run in Australia and it was run on a heavy track. He ran terribly,” said Clements.
“What he’s shown us here in his gallops and trials had been very good and were indications he’d go well first-up, but there were some concerns over the rain-affected track.
“He handled it very well, though. He showed us a lot of speed in his gallops and I told Louis to try and get the box-seat from the barrier.
“I think he will improve off that run as he still had a bit of condition on him. He had every reason to compound in the last bit, but he produced a good effort to win.”
Beuzelin was delighted he had got off to an auspicious start to the first meeting of the year, which traditionally is held on New Year’s Day as the New Year Cup meeting, but the Polytrack feature race has been replaced by a Kranji Stakes, a race run over the same 1200-metre distance.
“This horse showed me some promise in the morning, and he showed a bit of it today,” said the French jockey.
“I think he needed the run, and I think he will be better over 1400 metres. It’s an excellent start to the new year, Happy New Year everybody!”
Maia lands treble during season opener
After being widely tipped, even by his 2020 conqueror Vlad Duric, as the jockey who would make this 2021 season his own, Ruan Maia took a step in the right direction with a treble on the opening day of the season yesterday.
The Brazilian flew off the blocks in the first race with Per Incrown (Per Incanto), before doubling the dose with Super Invincible (I Am Invincible) in race seven and completing the big haul with Surpass Natural in the highlight of the day, the SD$100,000 Happy New Year Stakes.
As humble as ever, Maia would not read too much into the flying start, more so when arch-rival Duric was out of action at the inaugural race meeting and at the next meeting on January 9, currently serving a two-day careless riding suspension.
“It’s a great start, but this is only the first meeting. There is still a long way to go,” said the two-time Macau champion jockey who narrowly missed out on the Singapore title by only three winners to Duric at his very first full season last year.
“Well done to Jerome (Tan, winning trainer of two of his treble, Per Incrown and Surpass Natural) too, as he’s also the leader today!”
Tan just laughed off the compliment as he knows the cream would eventually rise to the top, but the Singaporean handler, who helms a medium-size yard with just under 30 horses, was glad he has made an auspicious start to the new year, especially with two horses who just landed at his stables.
“Both Per Incrown and Surpass Natural came to my stables around one month ago, and credit must go to their previous trainer, Leticia Drgaon,” said Tan, who has also received Group winner Exceed Natural (Red Giant), Strong N Powerful (Golden Archer) and Sky Eye (Per Incanto) (also victorious at his first outing under his care) from the same connections.
“She has kept both horses to the mark and has done most of the hard work. They were well and fit, and I’m just lucky to get the results.
“Surpass Natural is a good Polytrack horse and that was the race I had targeted for him. He’s been trialling very well.
“I’m not sure what’s next for him. We have less racing now and we can’t really plan ahead, we’ll just see what happens.”
Travelling in fourth position not far off leader Excelling (Manhattan Rain), Surpass Natural loomed as a major threat upon straightening without having spent a penny, no doubt helped in a big way by the passage left wide open when Altair (Zoustar) rolled out and carried Webster (Showcasing) off the track at the point of the turn.
One could easily picture Maia chuckling to himself at the inviting saloon passage, and knowing his above-average strike rate on Polytrack, the rest became child’s play. The five-year-old slid his way to the front, holding sway all the way to the line for a most authoritative performance as the $13 favourite.
Pennywise (Pure Prize) atoned from his last-start flop in the Colonial Chief Stakes (Listed, 1600m) a fortnight ago with a searching run back on the fence inside the last 300 metres but could only come within half a length of the winner.
Sacred Rebel (Sepoy) also powered home late to finish third another head away, but did lug in close home, slightly checking the fast finishing last-start winner You Rokk (Artie Schiller) who ran fifth, a head away from last year’s New Year Cup (Listed, 1200m) winner Nowyousee (O’Reilly).
The winning time was a smart 1.09.89 for the 1200 metres on the Polytrack, only 0.15 seconds slower than the record established by the great Rocket Man (Viscount) in the Woodlands Handicap (Listed, 1200m) ten years ago.
With that seventh win from 13 starts, Surpass Natural has now amassed in excess of SD$300,000 in stakes money for the Sky Eye Stable.
“He’s a very good horse. I think a horse (Pennywise) nearly passed him at one stage, but he fought back,” said Maia.