The Trainer’s Premiership race heated up after Huka Falls provided Laurie Laxon with a winning double by taking out the $75,000 Kranji Stakes C over 1200m on the Polytrack on Friday night.
Ridden by Danny Beasley, Huka Falls scored by a length-and-a-quarter over Super Good (Barend Vorster) with Good Towkay (Danny Chee) two lengths away in third place.
Laxon had taken the previous race, the $35,000 Maiden Stakes over 1600m, with Profound and the victory of Huka Falls saw Laxon draw level with Michael Freedman in the premiership race.
Freedman had started the night one clear of Laxon and jumped two in front after the victory of Mr Armstrong in the fourth event of the evening.Laxon is aiming for his seventh premiership while Freedman is after his first.
“We’re putting on a good show tonight aren’t we,” said Laxon after the victory of Huka Falls. “There’s still a long way to go but we’re in there with a fight.”
“He’ll get a break now,” said Laxon. “In fact all my horses will have a break.
“There’s no racing for the next two weeks so all my horses will just be swimming all week.
“This horse is a three-year-old so we’ll look at the Three-Year-Old Series with him next year.
“What he needs most is good ground.”
Huka Falls’ only defeat came about when he finished seventh on a soft track in the Jubilee Stakes over 1400m on September 30.
Beasley said Huka Falls only does as much as he has to as the gelding was going to score comfortably when taken to the lead soon after straightening.
“They went pretty quick,” said Beasley. “And he’s done a good job.
“He was going to win easily when he went past the leader. He got two (lengths) in front and then clocked off.
“He put that other horse away quickly and then just coasted home, but I think if the second horse had got closer he would have rallied.
“It’s not easy for a three-year-old to win in Kranji Stakes C class with 58kg. You see a lot of them get beaten.
“This horse has something about him and it’s certainly all upwards from here for him.”
By Align from the Senor Pete mare Diamond Lady, Huka Falls is raced by Laxon’s Silver Fern Racing.