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Trainer John O’Hara showed an exemplary patience of Job after he nursed Castor back to fitness from his tendon niggles to bounce back to winning ways in great style on Friday.
The former top juvenile, who once held his own against smart sorts like Affleck and Kiwi Karma last season, moved from trainer David Kok to O’Hara shortly after his last run back in September when third to Affleck in one of the More Magic 3YO Championship series races.
Unfortunately, with the history of tendon problems he was plagued with, O’Hara had to bide his time before the son of Greenwood Lake could run his first race under his banner – seven months to be precise.
After two inconspicuous runs in April, including beating one home at his comeback race in the Group 3 Dester Singapore Three-Year-Old Challenge (1200m), O’Hara had a hunch Castor was back on track and decided to increase his workload, which paved the way to his stellar win in the $60,000 Class 4 race over 1000m on Friday.
Settled in the box seat behind Yin Jie (Alan Munro) and Brahma Circus (Corey Brown), Castor, who was backed down to solid $11 favouritism, travelled like a winner before being peeled out to the outside for his assault at the point of turn.
The moment apprentice jockey Troy See let rip, Castor broke away in stirring fashion to score by a widening margin, easing down late to score by just under four lengths from stablemate One United (Matthew Kellady), who pippped Brahma Circus for second by a nose.
The winning time was a smart 58.86 seconds for the 1000m on Polytrack.
“After his first two runs, I could tell he was back. That’s when I decided to put more pressure on him, put more work into him.” said O’Hara.
“After the tendon problems he had, it’s been a lot of hard work to get his fitness back. We just had to manage his leg and we get the result tonight.
“I’m not surprised with the way he won as he’s always shown a bit of class and the field tonight was not very strong. I hope he keeps it up now.”
With that third win from nine starts, Castor maintains his good rapport with See who was also his partner at his previous two wins, including one Leg of the Singapore Golden Horseshoe series.
See was over the moon with the way the horse he has a soft spot for has returned to the winner’s circle and duly paid credit to O’Hara for the efforts they have put in.
“All credit must go to John and the boys in the last seven months. Patience was the key,” said the soft-spoken Singaporean hoop who was at his first win for O’Hara this season, having recorded all his previous eight wins for trainer Alwin Tan.
“To come back from his injuries and win the way he did tonight was just great and a great testament to the good job John has done.
“Corey rode a smart race and I had to go around his horse (Brahma Circus) and Alan’s horse (Yin Jie) at the top of the straight when the gap closed. This horse has so much engine and he just sprinted away so well in the end.”
Castor has now brought his earnings past the $180,000 mark for his owners, the IB Racing Stable.