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Trainer Patrick Shaw remains convinced his Sunday winner Terms Of Reference can get a trip in the future.
The Per Incanto three-year-old has thus far lived up to his sprinting genes with all his three wins recorded over 1200m, including the latest recorded in the $60,000 Class 4 Division 1 race.
Noted for his flair for stayers as well as being a great pedigree student, Shaw, however, believed he has sniffed up a potential ability for longer distances in the gelding raced by his good friend Bernard Kantor in partnership with Avengers Stable supremo Mark Yong.
“On breeding, he is a sprinter, but on his dam side (Myladys by Kingfisher Mill), I think there is a bit of staying genes there,” said the South African.
“I’d like to get him over more ground in the future. Even now, he gets to the front and does not quicken, a sign to me he is looking for further.
“I think he needed the run at his last start, and coming back to the Polytrack helped today. He also ran a nice trial last Tuesday.
“Well done to Bernard and Mark. They own that horse 50-50 and it’s always nice when they win races.”
After stalking up the speed set by Golden Mile (Wong Chin Chuen), Terms Of Reference, who was backed down to 2-1 favouritism, was all set to pounce at the 300m, but could not quite get a clear shot at goal when Brahms And Liszt (Ng Choon Kiat) came laying in on him.
Keeping a cool head, jockey Barend Vorster waited for his horse to get back on an even keel before he let rip and the win suddenly was all theirs for the taking - until a fast-closing Host The Nation (Oscar Chavez) came cutting them back with every stride only to fall short by a neck.
Third place went to second favourite Keen Dragon (Manoel Nunes). The winning time was 1min 12.88secs for the 1200m on Polytrack.
Vorster agreed with Shaw that Terms Of Reference was a galloper you cannot set alight too soon.
“He’s only a little horse but he’s such a fighter. I tried not to launch him too soon, but once I asked him to quicken, he did it so well,” said the South African jockey.
“I think he can go further, but we’ll just take it race by race with him and see how we go from there.”
With that third win, Terms Of Reference has now brought up prizemoney in excess of $130,000 for the BM Stable.