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Karaka graduates are setting the Singapore tracks alight this season with eight wins in the 11 stakes races run to date.
Photo by Singapore Turf Club
The winners have been headlined by the superstar three-year-old Super Easy (Darci Brahma) who is unbeaten in Singapore, and other stakes winners include Better Than Ever (French Deputy), Flying Fulton (Flying Spur) and Nandowra (Savabeel).
New Zealand Bloodstock graduates have also featured in the Singapore two-year-old ranks with Super Good (Fastnet Rock) winning his race debut, the Golden Horse Shoe Preview, by 2.5 lengths.
The remarkable NZ-bred eight-year-old Waikato continued the winning streak with his victory in the S$350,000 SG2 Queen Elizabeth II Cup (2000m) at Kranji on Sunday.
In his 66th race appearance, Waikato (Pins x Skywalker Wilkes) showed he has lost none of his competitive edge to win the 19th race of his remarkable career which has seen him earn over S$2.3 million for Laurie Laxon's Silver Fern Racing Stables.
The victory was Waikato's first win over 2000 metres and will put the eight-year-old in good stead for his next start in the $3 million Group 1 Singapore Airlines International Cup over the same trip.
The son of Pins has contested the race twice during his career, finishing third last year and fourth in 2010.
"I am totally amazed by him," said Laxon. "To see him racing he is just so happy in himself."He has never put his ears back at any stage of his career. He's a racehorse and just loves being one.
"The beauty with this horse is that he relaxes so well in his races now and you can ride him on a piece of cotton, but he still has a good sprint as he showed in the race."
Bred by Amadi Park in Cambridge, Waikato was purchased by Laurie Laxon from Brent Gillovic's Highview at New Zealand Bloodstock's 2005 Karaka Premier Sale for $50,000.