Longshot Magical Talent got the nod in a riveting five-way go and survived an objection before being officially semaphored as the winner of the penultimate event to cap a day of nail-biting finishes and Stewards’ Room inquiries on Sunday.
Earlier in Race 6, Dynasty Knight dead-heated with Powerpac in a blanket finish that involved two other horses, but was declared the sole winner after his jockey Rueven Ravindra successfully objected against Powerpac.
Tearaway leader Secret Liberty (Syafiq Hazman) was trying to repeat his last-start feat in the $80,000 Kranji Stakes C (1200m), but he could not quite give the slip this time as a gaggle of horses came in with a mad rush, which was never going to happen without some bumping.
Touch Me Not, who was first to launch the chase after Secret Liberty, could not quite come out from his pocket on the fence at the 300m. Jockey Nooresh Juglall glanced sideways to make sure he was clear and eventually did, but the ensuing tightening caused the galloping room between favourite Snitzel Spirit (Manoel Nunes) and Magical Talent (Farick Tan) to taper down.
Pressure was coming from all sides between the three horses while Ideal Guide (Michael Rodd) and Amazealot (Mohd Firdaus) were also joining the fray, though they were able to steer clear of the scrimmage. In the end the Tivic Stable-owned Magical Talent ($169) finished ahead of Snitzel Spirit and Touch Me Not, all separated by a short head while another neck astern, Ideal Guide and Amazealot, two other Tivic Stable runners could not be split for fourth place for a great result for the outfit’s Thomas Loke.
Nunes objected against the winner, but his argument did not convince the Stewards who maintained the results. The winning time was 1min 10.86secs for the 1200m on the Short Course.
Laurie Laxon’s assistant-trainer Shane Ellis was pleased Magical Talent, a regular Group contender last year (third to Spalato in the Group 1 Emirates Singapore Derby at the whopping odds of $880) has bounced back to winning ways since his three-in-a-row at his first three starts in 2013 when prepared by Sonny Yeoh.
“We gave him a break as his head wasn’t right. He had had enough at the end of his last prep,” said Ellis.
“He trialled well last week and Farick rode him a treat today. He settled him at the back and he ran on good, though there was a bit of squeeze in the end.
“He’s probably not quite up to Group class, but he’s definitely a good horse in his own class. We’ll just find a similar race for him at his next start.”
Tan was adamant Magical Talent was not responsible for Snitzel Spirit's defeat.
“At the top of the straight, there was a gap that came up and I was the first to go for it,” said the apprentice jockey.
“There was not enough room for two of us and I had to make a decision fast.”
A previous one-time Canterbury winner in Australia when trained by leading New South Wales trainer Bed Murray, Magical Talent has now brought his stakes earnings past the $300,000 mark with that fourth Singapore win.
