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Placais back a winner in Singapore with Chase

French jockey Olivier Placais was a happy man after he booted home his first winner at his third Singapore stint on Sunday.

Chase winning the CHEVRON 2007 STAKES OPEN BENCHMARK 67
Chase winning the CHEVRON 2007 STAKES OPEN BENCHMARK 67 Picture: Singapore Turf Club

Licensed for three months, the eight-time Swiss champion jockey returned to Kranji last week, and has not taken too long to show his skills – and unique riding style – have not gone away.

Riding Chase ($59) for one of his staunchest supporters, Alwin Tan, in the penultimate race, the $60,000 Chevron 2007 Stakes, an Open Benchmark 67 race over 1600m, Placais had the Nicconi four-year-old poised to launch upon straightening after coming off a cosy run in fifth on the fence.

Corey Brown had other ideas aboard Gilt Complex, though as he heeled his mount along for his move at the 300m, but Placais, who has not been getting huge books of rides (he had none on Friday and only five rides on moderate chances on Sunday), was not about to be outwitted.

Raising his whip-holding hand in his atypical style, “The Conductor” as he is endearingly nicknamed at Kranji would not give Chase any chance of dropping his bundle, though he could not really wield the stick as he wished with Gilt Complex within sniffing distance on his offside.

It was still persuading enough for Chase, a recent transfer from trainer Mark Walker, to lift his game again and lunge right in time at the wire to peg Gilt Complex back by a neck. Murrayfield (Vlad Duric) ran third another 1 ¾ lengths away. The winning time was 1min 35.97secs for the 1600m on the Long Course.

Placais, whose last Kranji win from his previous tally of 81 came with the David Hill-trained Travertine on March 25, 2012, did return for a lightning visit in March to ride Happy Money for Tan in the Group 2 Merlion Trophy (1200m).

Singapore was always a place he wanted to re-establish himself in even after he left in 2012 to take up a lucrative offer in Switzerland. The 31-year-old admitted to feeling a little underwhelmed by the scant support so far, but that sterling win from the jaws of defeat has put a spring back in his step.

“I know this is just my second day of riding, but I haven’t got many rides so far and I was feeling a bit down, but this win has come at the right moment to lift my spirits,” said Placais.

“He’s quite a lazy horse. In French, I would say he’s as cold as marble, you need to really get a hammer and a chisel to get him going!

“I thought I was heading towards another blank day when Corey came alongside and even headed us, but I could sense the horse was not beaten yet.

“It was hard work but I’m glad it’s paid off. It’s a big relief, and I hope that first win will help me get more support from now on.”

Tan would without question be among the first in the queue.

“It’s good for Olivier. Just like for Danny Beasley (Kiss Me), I’m glad I was able to give him his first winner at this new stint,” said the current premiership leader who saddled a double to take his score to 44, three clear of reigning champion trainer Mark Walker.

“It’s the first time that horse runs for me. He came to me a bit down; he had some problems to his off foreleg, but we’ve been able to fix it.

“After a couple of trials, he has come right. He showed his big heart in today’s win.”

Chase was recording a fourth win that has now brought his prizemoney closer to the $190,000 mark for the Eight Eight One Stable.

When asked if on the strength of such a fighting win whether Chase could be a potential late Emirates Singapore Derby (2000m) on July 10, Tan said he would have to give it some thought.

“I don’t have any Derby runner at this point. I’m not sure if he can make it because of his ratings (that are not high enough), but we’ll see,” he said.


Singapore Turf Club

Kranji Sunday, 19th June 2016

7f210y TURF GOOD
SGD $60,000

CHEVRON 2007 STAKES OPEN BENCHMARK 67

SGD $60,000
Type: OPEN
7f210y TURF GOOD
FP Horse, Age & Sex
Sire & Dam
Jockey
Trainer
SP
WT
1st 4. CHASE (AUS) 4yo G
NICCONI (AUS) - SPEEDOS (AUS)
OLIVIER PLACAIS
ALVIN TAN
$11.8
57.5kg
EIGHT EIGHT ONE STABLE

Sales Information

2nd 3. GILT COMPLEX (NZ) 4yo G
GOLD CENTRE (AUS) - SAN YSABEEL (NZ)
COREY BROWN
CLIFF BROWN
$4
58.5kg
Graham Christopher Mackie

Sales Information

3rd 9. MURRAYFIELD (NZ) 3yo G
PINS (AUS) - O'REALLY (NZ)
VLAD DURIC
STEPHEN GRAY
$4.8
56kg
ST GEORGE STABLE

Sales Information

4th 2. LAI MAK MAK (NZ) 4yo G
O'REILLY (NZ) - PRETTY (NZ)
MANOEL NUNES
MARK WALKER
$3.8
58.5kg

Sales Information

5th 1. TALES OF SUMMER (AUS) 4yo G
TALE OF THE CAT (USA) - SUMMER ANGEL (AUS)
JOHN POWELL
CLIFF BROWN
$39.4
59kg

Sales Information

6th 12. HIGHER SOUL (JPN) 5yo M
HIGHER GAME (JPN) - SWEET SOUL (JPN)
ALAN MUNRO
HIDEYUKI TAKAOKA
$12.2
52.5kg
7th 6. DAVINCI (NZ) 4yo G
MASTERCRAFTSMAN (IRE) - ALL NIGHT PARTY (NZ)
DANNY BEASLEY
J PETERS
$15
56.5kg

Sales Information

8th 8. KINGS RYKER (IRE) 5yo G
BUSHRANGER (IRE) - MIA MAMBO (USA)
R RUEVEN
LAURIE LAXON
$14.8
55kg

Sales Information

9th 7. EN CIVIL (IRE) 5yo G
ELUSIVE CITY (USA) - EN VITESSE (GB)
RIZUAN SHAFIQ
MARK WALKER
$8.8
56.5kg

Sales Information

10th 13. NO SMOKING JEFF (AUS) 4yo G
RED DAZZLER (AUS) - MARKET PRICE (AUS)
N ALFIAN
MOHD YUSOF BIN OTHMAN
$33.8
47kg

Sales Information

11th 5. WONDERFUL PRINCE (NZ) 5yo G
ELUSIVE CITY (USA) - POMPEII FALCON (NZ)
OSCAR CHAVEZ
DESMOND KOH
$48.8
57.5kg

Sales Information

12th 11. SING EXPRESS (AUS) 3yo G
LOOKIN AT LUCKY (USA) - BABY ANGEL (AUS)
KASIM A'ISISUHAIRI
J PETERS
$64
54.5kg

Sales Information

13th 10. PROFESSOR X (ARG) 4yo G
FOOTSTEPSINTHESAND (GB) - MISS ALFANO (ARG)
BAREND VORSTER
PATRICK SHAW
$37.6
55.5kg

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