Different work system gets Boss back on top
A bit of tinkering in the training of Watch Out Boss (Bullet Train) paid handsome dividends yesterday, especially to those who took a chance with the S$195 smokie.
Trainer Daniel Meagher revealed he went back to the drawing board with the six-year-old in the wake of his ordinary last start caused by feet worries – ninth to Gold Star (Redente) in a Class 3 1000m race on July 18.
The Australian was obviously keen to see whether the new training and stable management of that setback would yield a good outcome in an identical speed scamper with a purse of S$70,000 on Sunday, even if the former Kuda Bagus (Malay for ‘good horse’) was up against an even hotter field.
Watch Out Boss came off a merciless three-way battle upfront to unleash an explosive turn of foot under new partner Matthew Kellady towards a most dominant two and a quarter length win over Hugo (Smart Missile) and Man Of Mystery (All Too Hard).
Owned wholly by Meagher himself, Watch Out Boss ran the 1000m in a slick 58.34sces, 0.64 second outside the course record.
The gist of Meagher’s regimen change resided in keeping Watch Out Boss as fresh as he could be after that last race from which he returned the worse for wear.
“He’s a very genuine horse. I didn’t trial him going into today’s race,” he said.
“That’s because he had a few issues with his feet after his last race. The farrier corrected those issues over a period of time.
“I tried something different by keeping him fresh. He impressed me with his gallop over the week.
“I own him and it’s great he’s won a Class 3 race for the first time.”
Indeed, all his previous four wins have come at Class 4 grade in Polytrack events, for a record that now stands at five wins, six seconds and six thirds from 27 starts for somewhere around S$260,000 in stakes.
Kok enjoys Happy Moment with double
Singaporean trainer David Kok had a day out with a rare double when Happy Moment (Showcasing) and Dimesso (Dissident) saluted yesterday.
Of the two, $11 favourite Dimesso’s stroll in the S$20,000 Open Maiden race (1200m) was the one that was more expected. Happy Moment’s win at S$32 in the Class 4 Division 2 race (1100m) was harder to fathom, but certainly not implausible based on his previous handy form as Count Me In – three wins, including a meritorious fourth to Inferno (Holy Roman Emperor) in the Aushorse Golden Horseshoe (Gr 2, 1200m) in 2019.
Still, Kok thought five-year-old Happy Moment might be a little ring-rusty since he was returning from hoof issues, but he said the advantageous conditions of the race played into their hands.
Coming from well off the pace, he just had to change course behind the fighting pair of Wonderful Knight (Duke Of Marmalade) and Winning Spirit (Itsmyluckyday) in search of a clear run. Wonderful Flight boxed on for second place a length and a half behind, with a big gap of three and a quarter lengths on Winning Spirit in third place. The winning time was 1min 4.48secs for the Polytrack 1100m.
Kok said Dimesso was not without his share of veterinarian challenges as well. The Singapore Derby-winning trainer said he rated the four-year-old rig given he personally purchased him with Real Efecto as yearlings two years ago, but a health setback put him behind.
“Dimesso is a nice horse that I bought at the Inglis Yearling sale for A$37,000, together with Real Efecto that I got for a bit higher, A$42,000,” he recalled.
“But Dimesso got some stomach ulcers, which was very bad. That’s why I had to spell him, and luckily, he’s recovered and come back good.”
As for Dimesso, he just made a mess of his rivals. In the driving seat from the get-go, he exploding away to an easy win upon cornering. The well-backed Walim (Tourist) barely put an indent into the margin four and a quarter lengths astern with Lim’s Hopefully (Holy Roman Emperor) third another length and a quarter away. The winning time was 1min 11.96secs for the Polytrack 1200m.
The double takes Kok to 13 winners, a very decent score compared to his previous quiet seasons.
Ong on a roll with hat-trick of wins
Young trainer Jason Ong’s recent prolific run keeps chugging along with a terrific treble courtesy of Special Ops (Reset), Hosayliao (Shaft) and Universal Empire (Moshe).
Bruce Marsh’s former assistant-trainer has been hovering around the midtable area for most of the way into the current season, but an uptick in winners in the last couple of months has propelled him to the top tier.
Yesterday’s brace sees him climb another three spots into fifth place, jointly with Hideyuki Takaoka on 20 winners, but one rung up from the Japanese handler on a countback for seconds.
True to form, he kept the healthy all-weather strike rate on the up with Special Ops in the S$50,000 Class 4 Division 2 race over 1200m and Hosayliao two events later in the S$30,000 Class 5 Division 1 race over 1600m before Universal Empire wrapped up the memorable day in the Lucky Last, the S$50,000 Class 4 Division 1 race over 1200m.
Clearly the one with more upsides of the trio, Special Ops, who races in Ong’s father’s purple and orange stars silks probably gave Ong the biggest thrill.
The five-year-old dropped back worse than midfield but quickly made headway turning for home to score going away with two lengths to spare from Good Luck Charm (The Factor). Ong’s second runner King Zoustar (Zoustar), who was making a bold bid for a third win on the bounce, lost no admirers with third place.
Special Ops ran the Polytrack 1200m in 1min 10.72secs to ring up his third win from 16 starts that also produced seven placings for prize-money in the vicinity of the S$175,000 mark.
Ong said the mildly-fancied (S$78) Hosayliao’s neck-win from the fast-closing Resurgence (Proisir) was a lot more tradesmanlike, but he was actually just franking his last-start winning form when Zyrul Nor Azman happened to be in the plate as well. Hidden Promise (Postponed) snuck up on the inside for third place another half-length away. The winning time was 1min 39.06secs for the Polytrack mile.
Hosayliao’s record is now three wins and 12 placings from 45 starts for stakes earnings in excess of S$160,000.
In the last race, Universal Empire (S$31) made full use of his barrier 2 to kick up along the rails to outgun leader Happy Friday (Shooting To win) at the 400m before tenaciously hitting the line to hold the resuming Field Marshal (Sweet Orange) off by a neck. A similar margin away, Doc Hudson (Commands) just beat Mega Gold (Giant’s Step) into third place by a head.
A five-year-old by the legendary Black Caviar’s (Bel Esprit) full-brother Moshe, Universal Empire clocked 1min 11.61secs for the Polytrack 1200m and has now taken his record to four wins from 15 starts for around S$145,000 in stakes earnings.
Maximilian Marks first success for Walker and Lerner
Maximilian’s (Highly Recommended) win in the S$30,000 Class 5 Division 2 (Polytrack 1600m) might not have got scribes rushing to their notebooks, but it still sealed two mini milestones of sorts.
Racing formerly as Clarton Star, the six-year-old propelled three-time Singapore champion trainer Mark Walker to the top of the heap for the first time this year.
After trailing reigning champion trainer Michael Clements in second place for a while, the New Zealander has seen his season noticeably gain traction in the last couple of months while Clements’ had, on the other hand, slowed up a fraction.
With the momentum swapping sides and Walker sending out a squad of 13 runners as opposed to his arch-rival’s five runners on Sunday, a changing of the guard at the top looked on the cards, but even if he was back in a familiar position breathing rarefied air, Walker was not making a song and dance about it.
“If it happens, it happens, I certainly wouldn’t be losing sleep over it if it didn’t,” said Walker.
If anything, he actually perked up a touch more about the spinoff feat – a first victorious combination with French jockey Marc Lerner.
“I’ve put Marc on a few rides (most notably, Mr Clint), we’ve had a few placings, but it’s great to finally get our first winner together,” he said.
“I try to get him on horses that suit him. He likes those staying horses and he’s such a strong vigorous rider.”
From the spot Maximilian (S$56) settled in during the race, ahead of only one runner – Giant Killing (Jet Spur) for most of the mile journey. He still looked a forlorn hope at the top of the straight, but the racing complexion was turned on its head when he suddenly charged home down the outside to go and post a soft length and a half win from Angel Halo (King Halo).
Roman Classic (Holy Roman Emperor) took third place another short head away, just blousing Oud Wood (Epaulette) out by the same margin.
Maximilian ran the 1600m on Polytrack in 1min 39.29secs, and has now taken his record to three wins and 11 placings from 39 starts and more than S$100,000 in stakes.