Juvenile champion Affleck made a sensational racing comeback as a three-year-old when he scored a scintillating win in the $100,000 Premier Racing Partnerships Stakes.
Beaten only once as a two-year-old when runner-up to stablemate Kiwi Karma in the Group 2 Aushorse Golden Horseshoe (1200m) in May, the son of Battle Paint, who turned the tables on the valiant filly in the other two-year-old feature, the Group 3 Juvenile Championship (1200m) in July, was resuming since that last win, and though he defeated only a small field of three-year-olds, his class prevailed throughout the six-furlong journey.
Ridden with great confidence by regular partner Danny Beasley, Affleck jumped smartly to settle right outside Lucky Giant with his main threats Castor (Manoel Nunes) and Super Winner (Soo Khoon Beng) in his slipstream.
The order changed little to the home turn when the seven riders started to get busier jostling for the best runs up the Short Course home straight. But despite their industry, it soon became clear six of them had their job cut out when the short-priced favourite ($7) effortlessly strode to the lead.
Given it was only his first-up run, Beasley just cuddled Affleck to the line, but it was still enough to hold Super Winner at bay by 1 ¼ lengths while Castor stuck on well for third another ¾ length away, giving the impression he was looking for more distance. The winning time was 1min 9.89secs.
Winning trainer Laurie Laxon, who had already spruiked the Oscar Racing Stable-owned galloper as the next three-year-old star, did not need to wax any more lyrical. The stunning win spoke for itself.
“He’s a lovely horse with a lovely temperament. He’s very intelligent,” said Laxon.
“It’s true he put on nine kilos, but it probably meant he was nine kilo stronger and healthier.
“I’ll set him for all the available three-year-old races and he’ll definitely get up to 1600m.”
The Premier Racing Partnership Stakes is the first Leg of the More Magic Championship series which was launched last year.
In an ominous signal to his three-year-old peers, Beasley said Affleck has come back even better than before.
“He was even stronger and more mature when I rode him in his trackwork. He has naturally grown into himself and has grown very well,” said Beasley.
“He is naturally gifted and does it so easily when he switches through his gears. He is always first out of the gates and then he just goes to sleep.
“He will run a mile on his ears and I’m sure Laurie will condition him perfectly for that task.
“He’s such a joy to work with. Credit to Laurie, Shane Ellis and the boys for the amazing work they’ve done on him, I only get the accolades for getting on him in his races.”
Affleck has now brought his imposing record to four wins and one second from five starts for prizemoney in excess of $310,000 for Mr Phua Chian Kin of Oscar Racing Stable.
