Trainer Laurie Laxon teamed with jockey Danny Beasley to take out the $200,000 Group 3 Fortune Bowl (2000m) with emerging stayer Martin on Monday.
Photo by Singapore Turf Club
While Beasley was landing his second consecutive Fortune Bowl win after scoring with the Cliff Brown-trained Tenzing last year, seven-time Singapore champion trainer Laxon was at his first success in the Chinese New Year feature since its launch in 2010.
Record, however, shows he does have his name on the roll of honour on three occasions (Superior Star in 2004, Royal Captain in 2005 and Top Spin in 2008) when the race was known as the Singapore Derby Trial.
Laxon nearly saddled the quinella with his second stable runner Ready To Strike (Steven King), but the duo was split by New Year Cup winner Lizarre (Davy Bonilla), who finished a shade better three parts of a length from Martin, to touch Ready To Strike out by a neck on the line. The winning time was 2min 4.77secs for the 2000m trip on the Short Course on a yielding track.
Ready To Strike began the best before handing up the lead to Make A Return (Oscar Chavez) as they negotiated the first turn. It was at that point that Maurice Utrillo (Barend Vorster) unfortunately broke down and was pulled out of the race. Meanwhile, Beasley had slotted Martin ($20) in sixth on the rails, right on the heels of the well-fancied pair of Nandowra (Joao Moreira) and Lizarre.
In a lightning move, The Rude Warrior (Ivaldo Santana) came from the rear at the 1200m to snatch the lead from Make A Return with relative ease. With the step-up in tempo, the field suddenly became more strung out as Lizarre began to improve between runners at the half-mile, followed suit by Martin, who got off the fence to course out three wide.
Upfront, Ready To Strike levelled up with The Rude Warrior while $17 favourite Nandowra was not really quickening under pressure. But making the biggest impression was Martin, who swept out the widest to set sail after his stable companion while Lizarre was taking a while to switch gears.
Beasley and Martin, however, pulled out plenty in the last 100m, and managed to survive by three parts of a length from Lizarre with Ready To Strike hanging on for third place another neck away.
Laxon said he had always earmarked the Colombia four-year-old for more grandiose goals from the outset.“I’m pretty happy with that win. I was confident he would be able to take the step as he had always been promising from Day 1,” said the Kiwi mentor.
“Remember the day he ran second at his second start and finished about 10 lengths from the winner (Freezemaster)? That was when I knew he had ability and would turn into a pretty handy horse over more ground.
“I bought him out of New Zealand and I guess the Singapore Derby would be where he is going now.”
Beasley, who has been the Oscar Racing Stable-owned gelding’s winning partner at three of his previous four wins, said the race panned out well right from the start.“We had a lovely run throughout. At the half-mile, an opportunity presented itself and I just got onto Lizarre’s back as he went forward,” said the Australian rider.
“I went around the field and it all worked really well after that. He just kept finding more in the home straight to score a very gutsy win.
“He’s always been a promising horse and has come through his grades. Laurie has placed him in his races extremely well.”
The fifth win has now brought Martin’s stakes earnings close to the $300,000 mark for the Oscar Racing Stable.
