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After getting off the mark in the new Singapore season with a winning double last Sunday, trainer Sonny Yeoh will be keen to keep the ball rolling with rising stable star Stepitup this Friday.
Photo by Singapore Turf Club
The unbeaten Hussonet three-year-old emerged as one of the revelations from the tailend of last year’s season at Kranji, bagging three wins on the trot, over distances ranging between 1000m and 1200m, both on turf and Polytrack.
Yeoh obviously has a soft spot for Stepitup who also supplied him with his first-ever win since he took over from his elder brother Dr Yeoh Kheng Chye last September, but admitted to being a little surprised by his perfect record thus far.
“He’s really surprised us since he joined us. Even after that first win (at mammoth odds of $421), I thought he had his small size against him,” said Yeoh whose first 2013 winners were Fantastic Boy and Danzig Rocket last Sunday.
“But he’s really furnished into a stronger horse after that, and we saw that at his last win (4 ½ length win in a Kranji Stakes C race over 1200m on Polytrack on December 2).
“He still hasn’t put on any more kilos but I have to say he’s not a very good doer either. I didn’t trial him, but he’s been working well.”
Ideally, Yeoh, who was former assistant-trainer to his brother for many years, would have raced him earlier than Friday's $75,000 Kranji Stakes C race over 1200m, but the races available did not exactly fit into his training programme.
“It’s been a bit of a struggle to find the right race for him, as it’s always hard to manage a horse’s condition around the races available, ” he said.
“In the end, I picked that Kranji Stakes C race on Polytrack. Though he’s won on turf before, I think he’s still more of a Polytrack horse at this stage.
“He'll probably be the favourite on Friday and I hope he can win for his owner. But anyway, we’ll see how he goes.”
The Tivic Stable-owned galloper will reunite with his regular partner Ivaldo Santana, who resumed riding duties last weekend, including the winning ride aboard Fantastic Boy. Also racing for the Thomas Loke-owned Tivic Stable this Sunday is Emblessed, who scored five wins (all on Polytrack) for Dr Yeoh last year but has yet to salute for the younger Yeoh in five outings.
The four-year-old entire by Danewin, who will be ridden by Santana as well, is running in the $75,000 Class 3 race over 1400m on the Long Course, the last race of the 11-race programme featuring by the $150,000 Group 3 Woodlands Classic Stakes (1800m).
“He’s been running against good horses lately. I think he’s found his mark, and he is again running in a strong field on Sunday,” said Yeoh.
“There were no other races for him as well. He’s in good shape and I can only hope he can find his old form again.”
On his double on Sunday, the Penang-born handler was happy that the good start to the year mirrored the encouraging career debut he enjoyed last year (eight wins from 99 runners).
“It’s taken a few meetings to get going, but we’re on board now. It’s a great start,” he said.
“Fantastic Boy and Danzig Rocket were nice surprises, but unfortunately neither owner was in town. I think the blinkers helped Fantastic Boy while Danzig Rocket likes to race handy and is always dangerous when he gets a soft lead.”