First-season trainer Ricardo Le Grange sang the praise of Ode To Joy after the gallant gelding made light of the steadier of 59 kilos to claim the $80,000 Open Benchmark 74 race over 1400m on Friday night.
After settling in an ideal one-out one-back position, the Argentinian-bred five-year-old by Orpen, who has been racing in stiffer opposition of late, including the Group 3 Colonial Chief Stakes (sixth to Daniel), brought his intrinsic qualities to the fore when he was popped the question by jockey Barend Vorster shortly after they negotiated the home turn.
At that moment, even-money favourite Aramco looked to be coasting for jockey John Powell as he levelled up with second-elect Macarthur (A’Isisuhairi Kasim) at the 300m of the long straight, as if ready to explode.
But the early speed battle Shane Baertschiger’s Australian import waged with Macarthur in the end told on both top picks, with Macarthur caving in a lot quicker while Aramco still mounted a spirited fightback when Ode To Joy ($30) ranged upsides, but the latter just packed too many guns as he went full steam ahead inside the last 100m.
The Jubilant Racing Stable-owned Ode To Joy did look like he was wandering a little once he hit the front but “class prevailed” as Le Grange summed up aptly later on. Ode To Joy put paid to his rivals to go and score by 1 ½ lengths from the fast-finishing Ares (Wong Chin Chuen) on the outside.
Aramco hung on for third place another half-a-length away while Macarthur, who was at his first 1400m test, was the disappointment of the race, fading to sixth place. The winning time was 1min 21.94secs for the 1400m on the Long Course.
“It was a huge effort from Ode To Joy. It may sound like an old saying, but class prevailed in the end,” said Le Grange who was bringing up a training double after Quicksilver saluted four races earlier for Nooresh Juglall in the $60,000 Class 4 Division 1 race over 1400m.
“This horse is showing good solid form at the moment, and it’s great for Joshua Tan and his partners. It’s difficult to say if he can win a big race one day, but I think there is a small feature race in him.
“He is certainly a smart horse and let’s hope we can have some fun with him this year.”
Ode To Joy was recording his fifth win for the Jubilant Racing Stable, but only his first for Le Grange. He scored his first two wins for his previous trainer Michael Clements before adding two more for Le Grange’s former boss Patrick Shaw, with all five wins having now come on turf.
“He was down in class but he was too good for them tonight. With 59 kgs on his back, he did a great job and was very strong to the line,” said Vorster who was victorious on him at his two wins for Shaw.
“His work has been good leading to tonight, and he ran on top of the other horse (Aramco) who is pretty smart, too, which adds even more merit to the win.”
A two-time winner in Argentina, Ode To Joy has now taken his local stakes earnings past the $260,000 mark for his connections.
