Popular grey galloper First Tothelign stretched his unbeaten record to three from three, but not without giving his connections and legion of backers some heart flutters in the home straight on Sunday.
Photo by Singapore Turf Club
The Shane Baertschiger-trained gelding took a sit in third in the $55,000 Dreyfuss 2004 Stakes Open Benchmark 67 (1200m) instead of dictating terms as he did at his first two all-the-way successes, but the end-result was as his name suggests, still first past the line, but it did look iffy at the 300m mark.
Ridden by jockey John Powell, who was replaced by Corey Brown at the second start when he was stood down after wasting too hard to meet the allotted 54kgs, First Tothelign, who was handicapped at 59kgs this time, looked a moral to put paid to his rivals when he was set alight at the top of the straight, especially as Jet Ace (Joao Moreira) who had set a frantic pace was already showing the white flag.
But despite Powell’s urgings, the grey three-year-old by Align was not drawing clear as expected. If anything, Faretti (Greg Cheyne) was looming large one length behind, but the big engine roared into full throttle in the end, and First Tothelign went on to score rather comfortably by three parts of a length from the much-improved Faretti.
Listen (Alan Munro) had to settle for third 1 ¼ lengths away. First Tothelign who started at prohibitive odds of $6 ran the 1200m on the Long Course in 1min 10.56secs.
Baertschiger said the lugging bit he has applied to the MA Racing Stable-owned gelding seems to have done the trick.
“He’s always loafed around in the straight before. I think the lugging bit helped him focus a lot better today,” said Baertschiger.
“We took a sit today as he had 59kgs on his back and we knew Jet Ace would be quicker. He still won by a length, which is all good.
“Obviously halfway up the straight, I got a bit worried, but he ran on in the end. He’s looking for 1400m and that’s where he is heading soon.”
Powell said it was always the plan to not get into a speed battle if someone else was eager to show the way, but maybe not as off the pace as he did.
“I was a bit worried when he sat in third, though we knew Jet Ace has a lot of speed and has led every time," said Powell.
“I was also a bit concerned in the home straight as he tends to do a lot of things wrong, but he straightened up well and did a good job in the end.
“You can’t bag him as he won three from three and carried a bit of weight today. But there is obviously still a lot of work to be done.”
With that latest success, First Tothelign, who cost NZ$160,000, has already amassed earnings just a tick below $100,000 for his connections.
Baertschiger was back in the winner’s circle two races later when Black Jack sprouted wings inside the last 200m to beat a handy field in the $75,000 Taurus 2006 Stakes Class 3 race over 1600m.
By keeping the ride aboard the Dash For Cash six-year-old for jockey Oscar Chavez, who fortuitously picked up the winning ride aboard him after Powell was stood down (the same day – June 2 - as the ride on First Tothelign went to Brown), Baertschiger was certainly repaid for his loyalty.
“It’s good for Oscar. He seems to get along well with this horse,” said Baertschiger. “This horse is always a bit slow out of the gates and Oscar’s aggressive riding style ensures he doesn’t give them too big a start.
“We were just talking with the owners (Anfield Stable) that it had been a long time between drinks since his last win – 588 days to be exact, and now he’s knocked in two in a row."
Chavez could not complain about the way the wheel of fortune has turned his way as far as Black Jack was concerned.
“I picked up the ride on him when Johnny was stood down and he won,” said the Panamanian-born jockey.
“Shane rang me and told me the ride was mine again on Sunday. Sometimes, that’s the way racing goes. When you have the luck, you just have to ride on it.”
Chavez said the fast sectionals in the early stages of the race suited his mount to a tee. Last-start winning mare Gold Rutile (Alan Munro) was being hailed the winner when she hit the front at the 300m, but she eventually got the staggers before being swamped by Black Jack who finished in advance of her by half-a-length to clock 1min 35.53secs. Gold Rutile just nudged out $14 favourite Feisty Leo (Joao Moreira) into third.
“It’s a good thing they rolled along in front as I didn’t want to jack him back,” said Chavez.
“I thought he was up against a strong field today, I mean, it doesn’t get any stronger than Feisty Leo, does it?
“I made him the horse I had to follow and I was very happy I got to sit on his inside throughout. I knew Joao would have to move out at some stage and I would just follow him then.
“In the home straight, the field just opened up and I was able to go for a run between runners. Even then, he did not kick straight away, but once he did, he just swept past them.”
