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Favourite backers heaved a huge sigh of relief when top fancy Power Blitz's No 1 was semaphored after Race 6 on Friday night.
The once-Singapore Gold Cup hopeful attacked Shining Glory (John Powell) with plenty of determination at the top of the straight in the $75,000 Class 3 Recast 2005 Handicap (1600m), but could not quite muster that little extra to make the difference for a few worrying seconds. But jockey Barend Vorster never gave up and the American-bred wore down his resistant opponent to finish locked together with Shining Glory on the line.
The photo finish showed that Power Blitz had got up at the last stride to score by a nose from Shining Glory with Tarankali (Jose Verenzuela) storming home late from last to run third another short head away on the outside. The winning time was 1min 36.98secs for the 1600m on the Short Course.
To illustrate the tightness of the finish, the fourth-placed horse Iluminado (Olivier Placais) was only a head away from Tarankali.
Sporting blinkers for the first time, Power Blitz is bred in the purple being by Fusaichi Pegasus out of a half-sister to Sunday Silence, Sunday Wish.
Trainer Patrick Shaw had once earmarked Power Blitz for the $1.35 million Group 1 Longines Singapore Gold Cup (2200m) which will be run this Sunday, but knew he had to run well in the traditional trial race, the Mandai Classic Stakes, to boost his chances of a berth. But Power Blitz could only finish sixth to stablemate Lizarre and subsequently did not make the cut.
“His rating was too low and he could not get in,” said Shaw. “But it doesn't matter as he's won tonight - in a lesser race, but it's still a win.
“I have no doubt he will improve further into a better stayer next year.
“He took a while to get going tonight but once he found his momentum he fought on very bravely to the line. It was a bit touch and go but luckily the photo finish went our way.”
Vorster, who had earned every cent of his riding fee on that booking, said Power Blitz was a little sluggish in the initial start but once he rounded the home turn, he stretched to the line very well.
“He had no pace early and I had to push, push, push him,” said Vorster. “Once Johnny's (Powell) horse eased down a bit, he got up around him down the back.
“I eased him out around the home turn and that's when he really started to give chase. I threw everything at him in the last 200m and he just got there.”
Power Blitz is a testament to Shaw's patience and the invaluable work performed by the Singapore Turf Club farriers. The gelding was sidelined for 13 months following a hoof infection which nearly had him put down, but thanks to Shaw's perseverance, he came back from the brink of death and has now rewarded his connections, the Saratoga Stable, with three wins from five runs and stakes earnings in excess of $120,000.