Up-and-coming three-year-old Magical Talent kept his undefeated record at Kranji intact after he scored his third win from as many starts on Friday night.
Photo by Singapore Turf Club
A previous one-time winner (1250m) at Canterbury for Kembla Grange trainer Bede Murray before the Tivic Stable brought him to Singapore, the son of Show A Heart has answered everything his Kranji trainer Sonny Yeoh has thrown at him, albeit he never scores by big spaces.
After securing his debut win by a length in a race over 1200m, Magical Talent reproduced that winning form second-up over the same trip, but had only one neck to spare from runner-up Luwak Coffee that time around. The same economical style was apparent at Friday’s third success as he came four wide down the home straight to get the better of Super Shadow (Joao Moreira) by half-a-length.
Yeoh was quick to praise the chestnut’s regular rider Ivaldo Santana’s good thinking at the 800m mark when Magical Talent was taken to the outside before swinging for home the widest.
“It was a decent ride from Santana that won us the race,” said Yeoh. “If he had stayed on the inside, he might not have come out on time.
“Things have gone to plan so far. It’s always a bit of pressure when a horse is unbeaten and I’m glad he’s done it again.”
Yeoh has ruled out a start in the Group 2 Singapore Three-Year-Old Classic (1400m), the second Leg of the Singapore Three-Year-Old Challenge, next Sunday week, and will wait for the cool light of day before making any decisions about the third Leg, the Group 1 Singapore Guineas (1600m) on May 17.
“He’s not going for the Classic for sure. It’s only next Sunday,” said Yeoh. “But we’ll see how he pulls up first and then we’ll make a decision with the owner if we go for the Guineas or not.”
Yeoh would probably not be too upset if Magical Talent does not head down the 3YO Challenge path as he’s already got one third of the series safely tucked away under his belt, the first Leg, the Group 3 Singapore Three-Year-Old Challenge (1200m) won by Stepitup, who at this stage remains his 3YO frontrunner and is still on target for the Triple Crown.
Santana said he elected to get off the rails when the leaders tried to stack up the race at the halfway mark.
“They stopped in front of me, mainly Moreira’s horse. I had no choice but to go around,” said Santana.
“He’s not really a horse who needs plenty of room. It’s me who didn’t want to be tightened for room. Sometimes when you stay on the rails, the gaps stay closed.
“He was always travelling relaxed and never really lost his momentum. I knew I had the leaders covered when he came on the outside.”
Being Stepitup’s (also owned by Tivic Stable) jockey as well, when asked if he would be having a “happy problem” should the need to make a choice between the two runners in say, the Guineas, arise, Santana was unequivocal about his choice.
“No photo. Stepitup is a better horse,” he said.
While the Yeoh camp was celebrating, the race was, however, marred by the sight of two horses going amiss. Speedy Ahead (John Powell), the horse who famously handed a seventh championship title to trainer Laurie Laxon on the very last day of the 2012 season, broke down at the 700m mark and had to be put down, while Royal Coffee (Matthew Kellady) tailed off in the home straight after he suffered a bleeding attack.
