A big drop in weight was the key ingredient to the resounding win of Chase Me when up in grade in the $125,000 Open Class race over 1800m on Sunday.
Photo by Singapore Turf Club
The Storm Creek four-year-old has been racing consistently in lower grade (Class 3) finishing in the money at his last three runs (all over 1600m) before being stepped up in company and distance by trainer Desmond Koh.
With another three kilos courtesy of apprentice Koh Teck Huat being shaved off from his allotted 50kg, the previous four-time winner was a live chance ($40) in the small eight-horse field which was headed by $14 favourite Aserious and other handy middle-distance performers like Silveron Wings and New Rose Wood.
Settled at the back by TH Koh, Chase Me, who was venturing over 1800m for the first time in 18 runs, was never further back than three lengths from the lead in the compact field but struck trouble halfway up the straight when he was running into dead ends behind runners.
Silveron Wings (Ivaldo Santana) was being hailed the winner when he hit the front at the 200m but hulking mare New Rose Wood (Danny Beasley) was making the best impression as her imposing frame started to make inroads on the outside.
But Chase Me proved too strong once he was brought into the clear on the outside by TH Koh. New Rose Wood fought on gamely but the noted one-batter could not contain the superior finish of Chase Me who sprouted wings under his postage-stamp load to score by 1 ¼ lengths.
Silveron Wings hung on for third another half-a-length away while Aserious (Joao Moreira) never accelerated despite finding a rails gap at the 300m mark.
The winning time was 1min 49.71secs.
Koh said the light weight made up for the time wasted in finding daylight at a crucial stage of the race.
“He was held up for a run, but his featherweight helped him make up for that setback,” said Koh. “He still made up ground very well.
“I thought he had a good chance against this handy lot purely because of the light weight. It was his first time over 1800m, but it seems to suit him very well.
“He's beaten quite a smart field today and I hope to get him in the Derby in July.”
The Group 1 Emirates Singapore Derby (2000m) is the third Leg of the Singapore Four-Year-Old Challenge and will be run on July 15.
TH Koh, who finished runner-up to Shafiq Rizuan in last year's Singapore apprentice jockey's premiership but has been struggling to find the winning post this term, was happy he had secured his second 2012 win after Iwa Antilia on January 24.
“It's been a while since my last win, and I was really happy to finally ride a winner,” said TH Koh. “The trainer told me he is a horse who is hard to settle when you hunt him up. He told me to just let him settle where he is comfortable.
“He jumped well and he travelled nice and steady for me at the back. I had nowhere to go in the straight, but even though he was squeezed on the inside, he was still relaxed.
“When he saw daylight, he just flew home for a very nice win.”
With that fifth success, Chase Me has now taken his earnings to just a little under $255,000 for the Super Trio Stable.
