Age does not seem to be stopping the evergreen galloper Waikato.
Photo by Singapore Turf Club
The rising nine-year-old will be lining-up for start number 64 on Sunday and in the last five years the Laurie Laxon-trained galloper has seen a lot of change since he first set foot on the Kranji racecourse around five years ago.
Changes include the replacement of the old fibresand racetrack with Polytrack, the building of the uphill training track at the back of the course and a steady rise in horse population numbers.
Waikato has been a constant at Kranji since May 2007 and Laxon has the gelding geared towards another Singapore Airlines International Cup day in May.
An important step in the preparation for that day takes place on Sunday when Waikato lines-up in the Group 3 $200,000 Polytrack Mile Championship over 1600m.
The race – run under weight-for-age conditions – suits Waikato although the eight-year-old son of Pins is yet to win on the synthetic surface.
Waikato did win – and was placed twice – on the old fibresand circuit as a younger horse before its replacement in 2008, but has only raced on the Polytrack on three occasions, registering just the one placing over 1200m in June 2009.
The last time Waikato raced on the Polytrack was in the Polytrack Mile Championship last year, finishing fourth behind stablemate Better Than Ever, beaten 7.8 lengths.
Laxon said the weight-for-age conditions of Sunday's race suited Waikato ideally as he was used to carrying big weights in handicaps.
“He's proven he can carry 59kg in handicaps and win so 58kg at weight-for-age is certainly better for him,” said Laxon.
“We haven't raced him all that often on the Polytrack and while he hasn't won on the track he's certainly run some good races.
“He did run fourth to Better Than Ever in the race last year and this year I think he's going a little bit better.
“The (Singapore Turf) Club has put up some good money and they have got a good field which is good to see.
“John Powell will ride him. He's won on him before and he [Waikato] has also gone poorly for him before.
“Let's hope it is one of those days where they get on together.”
Following Sunday's race, Waikato's next immediate goal will be the Group 2 $350,000 Queen Elizabeth II Cup over 2000m on April 27 before lining-up for a fifth tilt at the Singapore International Cup meeting.
Once regarded as too weak by Laxon to run further than 1400m, Waikato has developed into possibly Singapore's finest 2000m weight-for-age performer.
After beginning his career as a sprinter which included finishing fourth in the Group 1 KrisFlyer International Sprint over 1200m behind Takeover Target and Sacred Kingdom in 2008 and 2009 respectively, Laxon decided on a switch of distance for the gelding.
In 2010 Laxon stepped Waikato up to the 2000m of the Group 1 Singapore Airlines International Cup and the gelding ran a then career best, finishing fourth behind Lizard's Desire, which he bettered last year finishing a length-and-a-half from the winner Gitano Hernando in running third.
“He seems to love this time of the year so the plan is to try and get him to the SIA Cup again this year,” said Laxon.
“He's run at the meeting the last four years and hopefully we'll make it five this time around.”
Laxon said Better Than Ever, who won at his first 12 starts as a three-year-old and early four-year-old, was also being geared towards a start in the SIA Cup.
Better Than Ever will barrier trial next Tuesday morning over 1000m in preparation for his return to racing in the Group 3 $200,000 Merlion Trophy over 1200m on the Polytrack on March 18.
