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The emergence of Kiwi Karma and Affleck in this year's Singapore Golden Horseshoe series could not have come as a better reminder that champion trainer Laurie Laxon can also train two-year-olds.
After the pair took two of the first three legs of the juvenile series, many had to jog their memory to find out if the veteran handler had had any success in the series launched in 2011 – or with any other 'babies' for that matter.
As it turned out, from previous 20 winners registered in the first three editions of the series sponsored by Aushorse, Magic Millions, Inglis and IRT, Laxon did score in one Leg with Master King in 2012, the Inglis Sydney Juvenile Stakes (1100m) for a win which was probably not etched in many people's consciousness given the Due Sasso gelding's shortlived career. After that debut win, Master King had two more runs before being retired.
Laxon saddled two two-year-olds in the inaugural year of the Singapore Golden Horseshoe series, Beyonce and Jack. Of the two, Beyonce fared better with one second, one third and two fourths while Jack ran unplaced in two starts, though Beyonce never found the line in 18 starts later on, while Jack turned out to be not so dull as he has won twice, the second win scored as recently as last Saturday week in Ipoh.
Last year, Laxon did not even have a runner in any of the six-race series which traditionally culminates with the Group 2 Aushorse Golden Horseshoe (1200m) on Singapore Guineas night. But he did have a promising two-year-old in Daniel who decimated his older rivals by more than seven lengths at his debut.
Such mixed results with two-year-olds in recent years might be the reason why Laxon is not mentioned in the same breath as Theo Kieser or Michael Freedman (they won 11 between them) when it comes to such races, but a slighter deeper dig into history, however, reveals that the eight-time Singapore champion trainer was himself no slouch with the kids not too long ago.
Both Laxon's wonderful mare Mexican Rose and two-time Singapore Horse of the Year Why Be landed the other Singapore two-year-old feature, the Group 3 Juvenile Championship (1200m) early in their stellar careers.
With Kiwi Karma stepping up on her second place to the Patrick Shaw-trained Barnato in the first Leg (Magic Millions Cash Luck Stakes) to go one better in the second Leg (IRT Juvenile Stakes) and Affleck bolting in for an easy win in the third Leg (Inglis Melbourne Stepitup Stakes), Laxon can again pluck a string that many had forgotten he had always had to his bow.
“I think I may have this year's two best two-year-olds. I would know something about that as I've had Mexican Rose and Why Be as two-year-olds,” he said.
“The boy (Affleck) was very impressive at his first win. We knew all along he's a very good sort after he won two trials in New Zealand and won one here.
“He is by Battle Paint, whom I don't know well as he's an American sire, but her mare Greenstone is related to a Group 1 winner called Emerald.
“But the girl (Kiwi Karma) is very good too. She has maintained her form since her win and I think she'll run well again on Friday.”
With Kiwi Karma, a filly by Fast 'N' Famous, lining up for her third start in this Friday's $90,000 Magic Millions National Yearling Stakes (1200m) and Affleck due to run in the fifth Leg, the $90,000 Inglis Sydney Better Life Stakes (1000m) one week later, Laxon has set his sights on a remarkable, but realistic target – a clean sweep of the last five Legs. The finale, the Aushorse Golden Horseshoe will be run on May 16.
“Affleck will run in the next race, on May 9. I could have trialled him and then run him in the big race, but a trial does not come with $90,000 prizemoney, while that race does,” said Laxon who will keep the same winning partnership of Manoel Nunes and Danny Beasley on Kiwi Karma and Affleck respectively.
“I will then back him up within a week for the big race. Both horses will run in the big race.”
