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Trainer Michael Freedman consolidated his position at the top of the Trainer’s Premiership Table with a winning treble on Friday night.
Photo by Singapore Turf Club
After winning with debutant Super Ninetyseven earlier in the evening, Matterhorn rung up the double before debut winner Texan Takeover made it two-from-two later on, to bring his score to 58 winners for the year.
Stepping up from his winning debut in a Class 4 event, Texan Takeover, a previous two-time winner in Melbourne, was running over 1100m again but tackling Class 3 material this time around, crossing swords with other impressive last-start winners like Codigo and Terminator.
Ridden by Joao Moreira, who had earlier set a new riding record on 154 winners aboard Super Ninetyseven, Texan Takeover ($7) had to overcome an awkward alley (9) first, which he did rather easily after he bounced out quickly to somehow slot into the box-seat behind Jet Ace (P Dellorto).
Texan Takeover was put right into contention once Moreira took him to a clear lead upon straightening, but Rimsky (Ivaldo Santana), Codigo (Stephen Baster) and Terminator (John Powell) were coming home with a late rush. Freedman’s charge did not show any signs of letting-up as he kept rallying gamely to fall in by three parts of a length from Codigo.
Terminator ran on too late to finish third another neck away. The winning time was 1min 5.25secs.
“It was a very good effort to step up from Class 4 to Class 3 and win again,” said Freedman.
“There were some good quality horses in the race this time. He had to work from an outside draw but it turned out to be a perfect draw in the end.
“I will definitely test him over more ground eventually, probably 1200m or 1400m won’t hurt him, but I think he’s a horse who needs to have his runs spaced out.”
Raced by the famous Segenhoe Stud from the Hunter Valley in Australia, Texan Takeover is a four-year-old by Stravinsky out of the Galileo mare Snapdragon.
Two races earlier, Freedman had led in the second pin of his treble, Matterhorn who two runs back took part in last July’s Emirates Singapore Derby (2000m), but beat two home.
Ridden by this season’s leading apprentice Tengku Rehaizat, Matterhorn took out the $75,000 Class 3 Stakes over 1600m, scoring by a length-and-a-half over Grand Approach (Richard Lim) with Meaisin (Zuriman Zulkifli) a half-length back in third place.
Matterhorn sat to the outside of the leader Flaneur (Mohd Zaki) before taking the lead on the hometurn.
While Grand Approach, and to a lesser extent Meaisin, tried to run down the winner, Matterhorn dug deep to record a strong win.
After his Derby run, Matterhorn ran 14th behind King Empire in Class 3 company on August 31 to give the impression he had lost his way, but Freedman said if you took away his last two outings then his form was most consistent.
“He found the trip too far in the Derby then he was wide all the way last time from a poor draw,” said Freedman.
“If you take those two runs out of the equation then his form was very solid.
“Although his price ($62) didn’t reflect it, I thought he was a genuine chance in the race when he came in with just 54kg.
“It was a good well judged ride by the young rider. He rode him exactly how we wanted him to.
“He’s got a good future and if he keeps a level head then I’m sure he’s going to have a lot of success.”
Freedman said he had no ambitious plans with Matterhorn but described the gelding as genuine.
“He’s a genuine Class 3 sort of horse but if we found the right race with no weight then he might be able to pinch one in a higher grade,” said Freedman.
“He’s a good bread and butter sort of horse and just the sort of horse that is good to have around the stable.”
A five-year-old by Rock Of Gibraltar from the St Jovite mare Mont Tremblant, Matterhorn recorded his fifth win from 26 starts with a further 12 minor placings and with Friday night’s success edged his way closer to the $300,000 mark in prizemoney for Horizon Stable.