Seven time champion trainer Laurie Laxon is creeping up on 1000 winners in Singapore.
Currently sharing top billing with Mark Walker on 10 winners in the 2013 race for top honours, Laxon has prepared 973 winners in Singapore since taking up training at Kranji in 1999.
While he was winless that year – he didn’t start training until November that year and had only the one runner – Laxon has certainly made inroads in the years since.
He prepared 16 winners in his first full season in Singapore before preparing 64 winners in 2001, 66 in 2002 and 59 in 2003.
He then reached triple figures (100) in 2004 in claiming the first of his seven premierships with his best season coming in 2007 when he turned out 104 victories.
Laxon captured six straight championships from 2004 through to 2009 before relinquishing the title to Steven Burridge in 2010 and Patrick Shaw in 2011.
He regained the title last year in the very last race of the season winning on a countback (having more seconds) from Michael Freedman.
As a winner of most of the feature races in Singapore on multiple occasions, Laxon will be hoping to add another Group 3 $200,000 Fortune Bowl over 2000m next Monday to his trophy cabinet.
Having previously won the race in 2004 and 2005 with Superior Star and Royal Captain respectively and again in 2008 with Top Spin, Laxon will have a two pronged attack on the race with Martin and Ready To Strike.
Danny Beasley will ride Martin while Steven King will partner Ready To Strike.
Martin goes into Monday’s race second-up following a break. He was successful over 2400m in November before running a solid first-up fourth behind Always Certain over 1400m on January 27.
With Laxon having only just returned from the New Zealand yearling sales where he purchased eight youngsters, his right hand man Shane Ellis has been preparing the team in his absence.
Ellis said Martin was a lightly-raced galloper that keeps improving with each preparation.
“He ran really well first-up and he has won second-up before,” said Ellis. “It’s a bit of a jump from 1400m to 2000m and it is hard to get a gauge on him from his trackwork.
“Danny rode him in his work the other day and said while it was sound work he did feel well underneath him.
“He’s never been a flash worker, but as long as he’s feeling well and doing well in the stable then he usually runs a good race.
“He’s certainly a lot stronger this time in.”
A four-year-old son of Colombia, Martin has won four of his 11 starts and close on $200,000 in prizemoney for Oscar Racing Stable.
Ready To Strike goes into next Monday’s race coming off a last start win in Kranji Stakes C class over 1700m on January 18.
This followed a good fourth behind Lizarre in the Group 3 New Year Cup over 1900m on January 1.
“I don’t think he’ll have any trouble running out the 2000m next Monday,” said Ellis.
“He was strong winning the other day and his previous run over 1900m was also good.
“He’s more mature now and is a lot stronger.”
Ready To Strike, a five-year-old, is also by Colombia but missed the majority of his four-year-old season through injury. He has scored two wins from his 10 starts since making his comeback and in total five of his 20 starts and almost $250,000 in prizemoney for the V-Day Stable.
