Trainer Laurie Laxon believes the penny has finally dropped for former New Zealand Group 2 winner Valbuena after he made it two wins in a row at Kranji on Sunday.
Raced by his good friend Sir Peter Vela in partnership with the Silver Fern Racing Stable, the Darci Brahma five-year-old and winner of the Avondale Guineas (2100m) at Ellerslie two years ago had not quite lived up to his lofty reputation ever since he commenced his Singapore career in July 2014.
Not a single placing could even be mustered in 11 starts until he finally got on the board at his last run on May 31 in a Kranji Stakes C race over 2000m, and it could not be a better spot, the top prize.
But even then, jockey Michael Rodd returned with his head shaking. The win was a vast improvement for sure but he felt that a few tune-ups were still necessary, for instance a set of blinkers to help cool his jets and sharpen his focus better.
Never one to ignore positive feedback from his jockeys, Laxon heeded the top Australian jockey’s advice, and a second victory was duly added in Sunday’s $125,000 Open Stakes over 2000m.
Travelling in the box-seat from the outset,
Valbuena ($22) saw a saloon passage open up when One Rar (John Powell) and Fujin Bright (Alan Munro) could not quicken as expected with leader Musketeer (Mohd Zaki) folding soon after cornering. After momentarily contemplating an outside path, Valbuena did well to eventually duck back inside before charging full steam ahead to the line.
The Patrick Shaw pair of Emperor’s Banquet (Nooresh Juglall) and In Fact (Barend Vorster) did close in while favourite Cheetah On Fire (Zuriman Zulkifli), who was buried on the rails for most of the way, also found daylight halfway up the home straight, but there was no bigger danger lurking than his own stablemate Martin (Corey Brown) who came from near-last with a big run late on his outside.
For a second, Vabuena looked like he would switch off but well ridden by Rodd, he knuckled down to the task to stave off Martin’s challenge and prevail by half-a-length. Cheetah On Fire ran third another two lengths away. The winning time was 2min 4.96secs for the 2000m on the Short Course.
Whether the blinkers did the trick when Martin came breathing down their neck at such close quarters inside the last furlong is a moot point, but Rodd would definitely debate in their favour.
“After his last run when he won, I told Laurie he was the type of horse who needed blinkers, especially in the last 600m,” said the Australian jockey.
“I rode him back at his last start and he was all over the shop in the last 300m and I had to really urge him along. I told Laurie to chuck those blinkers on and see how he goes as he is so fierce.
“The pace was just nice and he settled really well behind the lead. He sprinted really well this time and didn’t look around so much, but in the last 100m he still looked like he would throw it away, especially when Martin got to him.
“He did roll out onto Martin and I’m not sure if he touched him, but he really can motor home and did a good job to score in the end.”
Laxon was more or less on the same page as Rodd, except that he had a slightly different spin to the continued work in progress that is Valbuena.
“I think it’s taken a while for him to get around the other way of going here,” said the nine-time Singapore champion trainer.
“He won the Avondale Guineas around the other way of going and we’ve had a bit of trouble adjusting him to this way. But it’s all come good now.
"He could be a (Longines Singapore) Gold Cup (2200m in November) horse and he could be a chance with a reasonable weight.”
