Just a month after he captured the first Group title of his career with stalwart Goal Keeper, trainer Theo Kieser is eyeing another personal landmark this weekend.
Since taking out his licence in 2009, the South African handler has notched 99 winners and is on the brink of reaching the century.
He saddles debutant Super Winner in a Restricted Maiden race over 1100m on Friday and last-start winners Black Mamba and Goal Keeper in a Kranji Stakes D race over 1400m and the Jockey Club of Turkey Trophy race over 1200m on Sunday respectively.
That his chances of reaching this milestone rests on just three runners is typical of Kieser, who throughout his time here has customarily overseen a small team of horses yet has still managed to maintain a healthy strike rate.
This campaign for example, his yard has struck 15 winners from just 125 runners, which is the second lowest tally (only ahead of the 109 saddled by Steven Lam) in the pool of 26 trainers at the Singapore Turf Club. Outside the top-10 in the premiership, Kieser’s current strike rate of 12 per cent is the second highest and only marginally bettered by the 13th-ranked Stephen Gray (12.02 per cent with 28 winners from 233 runners).
“I’ve been a trainer for only four years and to be this close to a hundred winners makes me very proud,” said Kieser. “I know I have just three runners this week but I’m hoping for a big weekend from them and it’ll be great if any of them gets that milestone win for me.”
While not a man prone to sentimental swayings, it is clear that Kieser retains a soft spot for Goal Keeper, the Australian-bred six-year-old gelding who took out last month’s Group 3 Paititi Gold Trophy (1200m).
The classy sprinter has been an ever-present for Kieser, who has nursed him since the bay galloper’s days as a juvenile. Goal Keeper has chalked up 11 wins alongside another 11 placings from 27 starts and has earned a shade over $830,000 in prizemoney.
“He’s the best horse I’ve ever trained and it’s been a pleasure having him in my stable,” said the horseman. “If I could choose any horse to be the one to get my 100th winner, it’d be him. It would be just absolutely special if he got the win on Sunday.”
Such is the unpredictable nature of this sport that things rarely go according to script though, a point that Kieser himself acknowledged. To complicate matters is the strength of the nine-horse field Goal Keeper faces in Sunday’s headline event with Mr Big, Huka Falls, Perfect Charger and Indicio among his chief competitors.
“It’s not going to be easy. He’s got a bad barrier (gate eight) and there are some very good horses inside of him,” said Kieser. “But I couldn’t be happier with his condition and the way he’s trained on since his last start and he’s actually a better horse on the Polytrack.”
Goal Keeper’s record over the all-weather surface, on which he lines up for Sunday’s $125,000 assignment, is a formidable one. He has never finished outside the top-two in his 10 outings on the alternative track and has saluted on eight occasions.
Malaysian jockey Soo Khoon Beng will partner the Untouchable six-year-old, who will don pacifiers once again, for the second time following their successful collaboration last month.
“KB gave him a good ride and followed the instructions perfectly,” said Kieser. “Ideally we would like the pace to be run like the last race and if it does, I think we have a very good chance.”
