Despite fielding only two runners, Lee Freedman cemented his top spot in the Singapore trainer’s premiership after Tesoro Privado brought up his 50th win on Friday night.
While the first full-season trainer is by no way home and hosed with Shane Baertschiger and Michael Clements hot on his heels two winners astern, and with eight more weeks to go before the season ends, he was certainly lapping up the moment.
Freedman had ample time to spare for that given the rather small team he brought to the races on Friday night. Tesoro Privado was the first horse he saddled for the night, with last-start winner King Zoustar his only other runner later in the last race.
The five-time Melbourne champion trainer, however, was not letting his bid for a first Singapore title distract him from his day-to-day business, happy to just seize the moment of another unbeaten start from Tesoro Privado ($23) under his watch.
“He’s a nice horse. He had two months’ break before he came to me and he’s unbeaten for me (in three runs),” said Freedman of the Argentinian-bred four-year-old by Orpen he took over from trainer Ricardo Le Grange (won three races in 11 starts for him) in June.
“The 1400m is his best trip. He had four kilos off the top horse and I told Oli (Placais) to ride him positive from the wide gate (12).
“He probably rode him too positive out of the gates, but that showed how a very good 1400m horse he is.
“Half-a-century is a nice score to achieve. As for the premiership, it will go down to the line, but Shane and I get on very well.
“We share good banter and may the luckier trainer shine.”
The buoyant mood was, however, dampened later on when it was revealed that Tesoro Privado had returned having bled, a post-race vet finding which unfortunately incurs a mandatory three-month suspension from racing.
Placais said he had held some concerns over the outermost alley, but once he had Tesoro Privado cosily settled in pole position after a flying getaway, he just had to save him for that last sprint.
The race indeed looked all stitched up when Tesoro Privado opened up to a three-length break at the 300m.
Odds-on favourite Elite Invincible (Vlad Duric) was nowhere in sight, the Irish-bred looking dour even if he did chip away at the margin a trifle. Earmarked to run in the Group 1 Dester Singapore Gold Cup (2000m) on November 11, he could only finish sixth, around six lengths off the winner.
It was an unlikely duo which completed the trifecta instead – Robin Hood (Mohd Zaki, $104) and Blue Swede (Amirul Ismadi, $283), 2 ¾ lengths and a neck away respectively. The winning time was 1min 21.77secs for the 1400m on the Short Course.
“I was a little worried with the outside gate. He had to use petrol early in the race,” said Placais who was race-riding Tesoro Privado for the first time.
“But I used his light weight to keep him going. Midrace, I gave him a break to save his energy.
“I then asked him to roll along. The light weight was a big advantage, the others had 56kgs and more, they would have to work hard to catch him.”
Tesoro Privado has now taken his handy record to six wins and six placings from 14 starts for prizemoney edging close to the $400,000 mark for the Titanium Racing Stable.
