Mr Spielberg
Singapore Turf Club
| Promising stayer Mr Spielberg is a confirmed starter in the Group 2 Chairman's Trophy (1800m) next Sunday after he took out the $100,000 War Affair 2013 Stakes, an Open Benchmark 97 race over 1600m in Singapore on Sunday. Delighted with the way Mr Spielberg has rebounded from his unlucky fourth in the Emirates Singapore Derby (2000m) three weeks ago, trainer Laurie Laxon straightaway said he would back up the Pentire four-year-old for the feature race he has won a record five times in the past. Jockey Glen Boss, who was at his second success aboard Mr Spielberg, was seen at his patient best aboard the Oscar Racing Stable-owned gelding. In a contest devoid of any real pacesetter, it was old stager Trudeau (Nooresh Juglall) who took on the leading role in the small but select six-horse field while Mr Spielberg was quietly dropped back to the rear. The genuine pace set by Trudeau was exactly what Mr Spielberg needed. Even if he saw them all, he was only around seven lengths astern, and more to the point, was travelling easily. Supernova (Matthew Chadwick) and Poseidon (Derreck David) were also in with a shout, but it was Mr Spielberg who would topple them all in the end. Switched back to the inside in the straight by Boss before being steered right back towards the middle part of the track, Laxon's stayer responded gamely to his jockey's urges to hit the front and sustain a strong gallop to the line, eventually scoring by a neck from Nova Strike. Supernova did well to hang on for third place another three lengths away. The winning time was 1min 35.44secs for the mile on the Long Course. Boss paid huge compliments to Mr Spielberg's run as he thought he came in a little underdone, and would derive a great deal of benefit from the hit-out ahead of his next Group assignment. "He needed a blowout today as Laurie has been pretty soft on him since the Derby," said the Australian hoop. "I thought they would go slower today but it was a pretty decent tempo and that suited him to the ground "He's a horse who is improving all the time and the further the better for him. That race will definitely tighten him up for the Chairman's Trophy next Sunday." Laxon said Mr Spielberg was a horse he had long held in high regard, more so when he first cast his eyes on his family tree. "He's a half-brother to Goliath, who was a very good Polytrack horse that I used to train," said the nine-time Singapore champion trainer. "He had some heart fibrillation issue last year, but he's put that behind him now as you could see from the way he's running these days. "The Chairman's Trophy is his next race. I actually wanted to get this one over first before committing to anything, but it's all decided now, he's run again next Sunday. "I'm not sure what would be for him next as races like the Kranji Mile and the Gold Cup are still some time away. One step at a time." With that sixth win from 20 starts, Mr Spielberg has now amassed more than $310,000 in stakes money for the Oscar Racing Stable. He was an $85,000 purchase at the 2013 New Zealand Bloodstock Karaka Premier Sale from the draft of Blandford Lodge. |