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Golazo lands shock win

The $65,000 Initiation race over 1600m saw longshot Golazo emerge a narrow winner to spring a big upset on Friday night.

Golazo winning the INITIATION
Golazo winning the INITIATION Picture: Singapore Turf Club

Ridden by Alan Munro, the Japanese-bred by Screen Hero came from the rear to fight out a four-way go inside the last 200m before sticking his neck out to edge favourite Arhat (Antonio da Silva) by a head with Hussonator (Vlad Duric) third a nose away and Black Swan (A’Isisuhairi Kasim) fourth another nose away. The winning time was 1min 36.42secs for the mile on the Long Course.

Winning trainer Hideyuki Takaoka admitted to be taken a little aback by the Big Valley Stable-owned gelding’s burst in the home straight given his past indifferent first four runs, but did have an inkling how it all came together.

“He used to work down the back on Track 6, but I worked him on Track 2, the main Polytrack in the last couple of weeks,” said the Japanese handler.

“The idea was to change things up a bit and that seems to have sparked him up. I definitely saw an improvement and he showed it in his race tonight.

“He’s a stayer and looking for more ground – 1800m to 2000m - but I think the Long Course helped him tonight.

“I will look around what is available for him. Probably a 1800m race, or else another 1600m race.”

Takaoka realised that the race would not have been in his keeping if the two placegetters had been less wayward at opposite ends of the race.

Arhat was jogging in the box-seat, but had to barge his way into the clear into the straight and then threw the race away when he started to race erratically and shifted out abruptly under the whip.

As for Hussonator, he was a certainty beaten. The big bald-faced chestnut was again his worst enemy with his usual tardy getaway, but even though he tailed off badly in the first half of the race, he stormed home late only to agonisingly fall short by a head.

“We were lucky. If these two horses had run without these problems, we would have picked up third place,” said Takaoka.

“But that’s racing.”

Munro said Golazo ($119) was still not the finished article but was certainly showing promising signs.

“He kept changing his legs in the first 600m,” said the English jockey.

“But at the 400m, he started to race more professionally and hit top speed. He will be better over more ground.”
Singapore Turf Club

Kranji Friday, 15th April 2016

7f210y TURF GOOD
SGD $65,000

INITIATION

SGD $65,000
Type: OPEN
7f210y TURF GOOD
FP Horse, Age & Sex
Sire & Dam
Jockey
Trainer
SP
WT
1st 10. GOLAZO (JPN) 3yo G
SCREEN HERO (JPN) - FUJI BLUE HEART (JPN)
ALAN MUNRO
HIDEYUKI TAKAOKA
$23.8
51.5kg
BIG VALLEY NO 3 STABLE
2nd 1. ARHAT (NZ) 4yo G
IFFRAAJ (GB) - SNAABELLE (AUS)
ANTONIO DAVIELSON
MICHAEL CLEMENTS
$2.8
58kg
ARHAT STABLE

Sales Information

3rd 4. HUSSONATOR (AUS) 3yo G
HUSSON (ARG) - SALTATOR (AUS)
VLAD DURIC
CLIFF BROWN
$3.4
55.5kg
DAN EXCEL STABLE

Sales Information

4th 3. BLACK SWAN (AUS) 3yo G
SEBRING (AUS) - ONLY WORDS (AUS)
KASIM A'ISISUHAIRI
STEVEN BURRIDGE
$3.8
55.5kg

Sales Information

5th 2. COMMODORE LINCOLN (NZ) 4yo G
IFFRAAJ (GB) - ZAZONALI (AUS)
JOHN POWELL
SHANE DONALD BAERTSCHIGER
$7.6
58kg

Sales Information

6th 9. BRAVE BLOSSOM (JPN) 3yo G
SWEPT OVERBOARD (USA) - ASAHI FONTAINE (JPN)
BAREND VORSTER
HIDEYUKI TAKAOKA
$86.8
51kg
7th 7. SUPER BUFFALO (NZ) 3yo G
O'REILLY (NZ) - LASHINGS (NZ)
COREY BROWN
CLIFF BROWN
$14.6
55.5kg

Sales Information

8th 5. NATURAL WATER (NZ) 3yo G
SAKHEE'S SECRET (GB) - PURE STRIKE (NZ)
KOH TECK HUAT CHARLARD
ALVIN TAN
$37.8
53.5kg

Sales Information

9th 6. BALBOA (NZ) 3yo G
BUFFALO MAN (CAN) - KINGS PRINCESS (NZ)
DANNY BEASLEY
LAURIE LAXON
$14.8
55.5kg

Sales Information

10th 8. WALTERS BAY (NZ) 3yo G
SAPERAVI (NZ) - AVENTURA (NZ)
NOORESH JUGLALL
MARK WALKER
$72.4
55.5kg

today's racing

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