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A change in racing pattern proved to be the winning formula for former 3YO series contender Stunning Cat on Sunday.
Trainer Shane Baertschiger said a first attempt at riding the son of Smart Missile negative at his last start was the trigger.
Stunning Cat flashed home from near last to run a smack-up fourth to Sierra Conqueror in a Class 3 Division 2 race over 1000m on December 7.
With Sunday’s $70,000 Kranji Stakes C Division 1 race being over 1200m, the Australian felt that waiting tactics would suit even better.
Settled in the second half of the 12-horse field in eighth spot, Stunning Cat ($29) began his run from the 600m to loom as a big threat on the outside at the two-furlong pole.
Elise (Matthew Kellady) and Lim’s Shot (Troy See) were proving hard to reel in, but under Barend Vorster’s hard riding, Stunning Cat kept working home solidly to eventually gain the ascendancy.
Favourite Made In Russia (Daniel Moor) had not helped his cause when he missed the start a fraction. He slowly improved to sixth place as he railed through from his barrier one but his bid to give 2018 champion trainer Lee Freedman his 2019 opener didn’t succeed in the end.
Blinkered for the first time, he looked a little shy to charge through between runners in the last 200m, but stuck on okay to take second place 1 ¾ lengths away, pipping Lim’s Shot into third place by a nose. The winning time was 1min 10.89secs for the 1200m on the Long Course.
“We’ve learned more about him from his last start,” said Baertschiger of Stunning Cat.
“We used to race him up on the speed, but he didn’t quite finish it off. There was a fast pace at his last start, we switched him around and he flew home.
“The 1000m was too short to ride him cold, but today the 1200m was perfect. I think he’ll get over a mile.”
Stunning Cat’s win incidentally brought a riding double for Vorster, who had scored in the opener aboard the Ricardo Le Grange-trained Super Denman.
The South African hoop announced last week that after 15 years spent at Kranji, he was moving to Adelaide next month to continue his riding career.
“I’ve got a bit more time to hopefully ride a few more winners here,” he said.
“It’s great to ride a winner for Shane today. His old man (ex-trainer Don Baertschiger) and himself have been great supporters of mine in Singapore.
“I won on this horse (Stunning Cat) early on in his career (on debut). He had a break and has not been quite himself since.
“He can look around a bit, but once he follows another horse, he’s quite genuine. We followed the right horse today, and at the 200m when I pulled him out, he let down nicely.”
Stunning Cat has taken his record to three wins and one third from 10 starts for stakes money that has now exceeded the $110,000 mark for the Stunning Stable.