Street Taipan is a horse going places if his trainer James Peters’ post-race statement he was still learning in spite of an emphatic victory is anything to go by.
Most would have been blown away when the US-bred by Street Boss burst clear inside the last 200m of the $60,000 Class 4 race over 1600m, but Peters said he was still not 100% there in terms of racing maturity.
“The barrier (10) was tricky but I think the blinker-pacifiers for the first time helped him,” said the English trainer.
“We knew there would be plenty of speed on and we were hoping the field would fan and spread to allow him to slot in somewhere in midfield.
“Alan was able to do that. It was a very good ride and the horse travelled well throughout.
“He won well but he is still learning. He was looking around a bit when he hit the front.
“We will keep working on that. It was his first time over the mile and he’s done a very good job.”
Munro, who was at a riding treble having scored earlier on Black Thunder and Amistad, agreed with Peters that Street Taipan was not all that well put together when they attacked the line at the 300m, but would have more to give once the penny drops.
“He’s a very nice horse. He threw his head up inside the last 100m,” said Munro.
“There is more to come from him, that’s for sure.”
Even though Street Taipan plotted a wide path in midfield, he was full of running as he came weaving for a run at the top of the straight.
After getting a little geed up when the tempo slowed up a touch midrace, favourite Lim’s Archer (Vlad Duric) was not putting in as expected, but no clear room was presenting itself for Street Taipan either at the 300m.
But as Humdinger (Danny Beasley) wilted out of the race, a gap suddenly appeared on the outside of Golden Casino (Wong Chin Chuen) which Munro needed no second invitation to capitalise on. Street Taipan ($29) went through like a shot and it was left to $176 smokie Any Rumour (Michael Rodd), who took a tow behind him all the while, to try and muster a last-ditch response inside the last 100m, but Street Taipan never got the staggers, going on to post a three-quarter length victory from a surprising Any Rumour.
Bastion (Saifudin Ismail), another longshot ($338), came from nowhere to run third another three parts of a length away. The winning time was 1min 35.45secs for the 1600m on the Short Course.
With that second win, Street Taipan has now taken his stakes money past the $60,000 mark for the Hippocrates Stable.
