3 minute read

Trainer Bruce Marsh pulled off the rare feat of saddling two winners on both sides of the Causeway within three minutes of each.

The Kiwi conditioner, who already saddled a Kranji winner in Powernova earlier, was exulting with his entourage shortly after the Arexevan Racing Stable-owned gelding hit the line with jockey Noel Callow aboard, when he was told to look up the TV screens at home as Hypernova, well-ridden by Marsh’s in-form apprentice Zuriman Zulkifli, sped down the middle of the track to gain victory in the $80,000 Class 3 race over 1200m.

Needless to say, the raucous cheers doubled up in intensity as Marsh headed down with Hypernova’s connections, the Tudor Lodge Racing Stable, to celebrate the dual wins in two different countries.

“Not bad eh? International trainer,” he said in jest, well aware of the fact that Singapore and Malaysia are geographically only a stone's throw away.

“This is the first time I’ve sent a runner in Malaysia and we’ve won. This doesn’t get any better and next thing I know, Hypernova was winning on the other screen!”

With Marsh deciding to stay in Singapore to oversee his runners over the weekend, it was assistant-trainer Gabriel Hessian who travelled up North and was given the honour of receiving the winning trophy at the Sungei Besi racecourse.

Marsh revealed it was a juicy carrot of RM200,000 bonus that sparked his interest in the Piala Emas Sultan Selangor, a race fellow Kranji conditioner Steven Burridge has won three times, two (Risky Business in 2011 and Speed Baby in 2012) of them ridden by Callow who was himself winning the race for the fourth successive year having saluted last year with Good Sight. The RM500,000 million race is also the third Leg of the Triple Crown Series.

“There was an attempt to round up four Singapore horses for the big race in KL and get a RM200,000 bonus if we win, but in the end only two made the trip (Laurie Laxon’s Martin was the other Southern visitor),” said Marsh.

“We were still keen to go as David Dawson (main principal of Arexevan Racing Stable) thought it would be a good race for Trudeau. We’ve always wanted to run him over 2000m and I guess that race was ideal for him.

“Callow gave him a beautiful ride, smothered him up on the rails and saved every inch of ground before making his run.

“I will probably bring him back to 1600m-1800m back here. Anyway he will have a nice freshen-up in quarantine now and we’ll have all the time in the world to think about his next run.”

Interestingly, Trudeau, a six-year-old by Exceed And Excel, actually began his South-East Asian racing career in Malaysia with a win, uncannily at the same track in Kuala Lumpur and with the same Callow in the saddle, but was then prepared by Richard Lines.

Shortly after that first-up success in August 2011, the former Lee Freedman-trained galloper (two wins in Melbourne) was transferred to Marsh’s yard, but had to wait for his 10th run to pay his first visit at the Kranji winner’s circle. He has since added four more wins over his pet trips of 1200m and 1400m, including two at Group level, the Group 3 Garden City Trophy (1200m) and the Group 2 EW Barker Trophy (1400m) late last year. Sunday’s feature has swollen his bank in excess of $800,000 all up.

Martin, who was sent out as the favourite and had leading Melbourne jockey Craig Newitt up, was on the other hand disappointing as he beat only two home, finishing more than seven lengths off the winner. Laxon was finding no excuses, but did say the son of Colombia was nervous during the float trip to Malaysia and his preparation up there did not go all that smoothly.

While a Group 1 win understandably always tends to overshadow any other achievement, Marsh’s eyes still sparkled as he watched honest performer Hypernova’s fourth win from 12 runs on the TV replay.

“He had the run of the race, was back in class and he got the job done,” said Marsh of the Elusive City four-year-old who has now racked up more than $200,000 in stakes earnings.

“Zuriman gave him a terrific ride. He knows the horse doesn’t have a long run, he didn’t panic and waited until the last 300m to make his move.”

The Kelantan-born apprentice is now on 13 winners, only four winners behind current leader Noh Senari.

“The horse travelled nicely for me from the start to the end,” he said. “He was in a good spot early as he wanted to be there.

“He gave me a nice run all the way. Of course I would like to win the premiership, but I would first like to thank my boss for always giving me good support.”