Debt Collector
Singapore Turf Club
Singapore's new racing sensation Debt Collector (NZ) (Thorn Park) again showed he knew where the winning post was when he came with his trademark surging run to secure his fifth feature race, this time in Sunday's $700,000 Group 1 Raffles Cup (1800m).
Three weeks after notching the first Leg of the Singapore Triple Crown series, the Group 1 Panasonic Kranji Mile (1600m), the son of Thorn Park made it two-from-two with another scintillating performance, albeit a little more industrious this time.
But any hopes of seeing history being rewritten with a first Triple Crown winner this year had long been ruled out, as trainer Cliff Brown had made it clear from the outset that Debt Collector would not be going the whole hog into the third Leg, the Dester Singapore Gold Cup (2200m) on November 20.
Brown is giving the four-year-old gelding a well-deserved break straight after his Raffles Cup heroics, with the Australian handler just saying he would wait for next month to decide what is the next step for the Barree Stable-owned galloper.
The astute horseman was first of all relieved the second Leg – along with a bonus of $50,000 – was in the bag as he admitted to losing a fair bit of sleep in the build-up to Sunday's anticipated rematch with his unlucky Kranji Mile runner-up Well Done (NZ) (Falkirk).
But he was also worried about the other five contenders. He reasoned that besides Well Done, most of the horses he accounted for in the first Leg, such as War Affair (NZ) (O'Reilly), Mr Spielberg (NZ) (Pentire) and Majestic Moments (NZ) (Darci Brahma), had all made further headway, not to mention the 1800m was still uncharted waters for Debt Collector.
To his delight, his fears proved unfounded. Brown was simply speechless after the former top 3YO again stood up to be counted at the business end, even when the race was not run to suit, a real testament to his sheer class.
Muddling-run tactical affairs in small fields are often a banana skin for those who come from off the speed, nagging doubts were starting to surface for Debt Collector, as well as for Well Done and Mr Spielberg, more so when 2014 Singapore Horse of the Year War Affair (Danny Beasley) had casually slid into a dream spot, one outside Titanium (NZ) (Tavistock), who was still not out to break any record at the head of affairs.
But the complexion of the race finally changed when the pace picked up from the 700m and the chasing pack were jolted into action.
The chase was on and with adrenaline fully-pumped, the seven runners were spread evenly across the track and all gunning for the top prize, which at that point, seemed swaying towards the War Affair camp, and definitely away from the first horse out, the fast-fading Titanium.
And then came that Debt Collector X-factor moment. Without warning, Brown's champion galloper just lifted his game, finding that extra length as he knows best how to do, to go and hit the line first with half-a-length to spare from a very gallant Quechua.
War Affair lost no marks to run third another neck away, a nose ahead of Mr Spielberg, with Well Done, who in the end started as the $12 favourite, a disappointing fifth another gap of 1 ½ lengths away. The winning time was 1min 50.37secs for the 1800m on the Long Course.
"This horse is an absolute freak. All week, I was not that confident he would win, but he's done it again," said Brown.
"I genuinely thought he would run third or fourth in the last 200m. It's only in the last 50m that he found again.
"To do what he did today was just amazing. He never puts a foot wrong.
"It's mission accomplished for him now. As I said, he's not running in the Gold Cup and will go for a break now. We will in due course let you know what is next for him."
Rodd echoed Brown's sentiments that he was also in an "oh no" moment when Debt Collector was taking a month of Sundays to go through his gears, but just when he thought he would bail out on him, he rose to the occasion and in the most brilliant fashion.
"There was a slow pace to the race early. When I saw Danny wanted to go forward on War Affair, I thought I would just stay three lengths clear."
"I didn't want to get caught on the fence and I was quite happy to be where I was. Those weight-for-age races are very tactical and you have to be a bit careful of how the speed unfolds.
"Down the back, Well Done was one length off me and Mr Spielberg was on my inside, and War Affair was still cantering, and I was thinking this was just an unknown scenario to us.
"But from the 600m, they quickened up, and I thought we were in trouble today. He ran off around the turn and changed his legs.
"He was still making ground steadily, but probably not putting in as brilliantly as I wished he would.
"But that is his make-up, he can just go through his gears at the right time. He's just an incredible horse, he's such a winner."
Debt Collector, who was rated 102 points before the Raffles Cup, may not yet be an idol in the same bracket as Rocket Man or even War Affair, but he is slowly but surely creeping his way up the ladder. He has now amassed close to $1.4 million in prizemoney for the Victorian-based Barree Stable. -STC
Three weeks after notching the first Leg of the Singapore Triple Crown series, the Group 1 Panasonic Kranji Mile (1600m), the son of Thorn Park made it two-from-two with another scintillating performance, albeit a little more industrious this time.
But any hopes of seeing history being rewritten with a first Triple Crown winner this year had long been ruled out, as trainer Cliff Brown had made it clear from the outset that Debt Collector would not be going the whole hog into the third Leg, the Dester Singapore Gold Cup (2200m) on November 20.
Brown is giving the four-year-old gelding a well-deserved break straight after his Raffles Cup heroics, with the Australian handler just saying he would wait for next month to decide what is the next step for the Barree Stable-owned galloper.
The astute horseman was first of all relieved the second Leg – along with a bonus of $50,000 – was in the bag as he admitted to losing a fair bit of sleep in the build-up to Sunday's anticipated rematch with his unlucky Kranji Mile runner-up Well Done (NZ) (Falkirk).
But he was also worried about the other five contenders. He reasoned that besides Well Done, most of the horses he accounted for in the first Leg, such as War Affair (NZ) (O'Reilly), Mr Spielberg (NZ) (Pentire) and Majestic Moments (NZ) (Darci Brahma), had all made further headway, not to mention the 1800m was still uncharted waters for Debt Collector.
To his delight, his fears proved unfounded. Brown was simply speechless after the former top 3YO again stood up to be counted at the business end, even when the race was not run to suit, a real testament to his sheer class.
Muddling-run tactical affairs in small fields are often a banana skin for those who come from off the speed, nagging doubts were starting to surface for Debt Collector, as well as for Well Done and Mr Spielberg, more so when 2014 Singapore Horse of the Year War Affair (Danny Beasley) had casually slid into a dream spot, one outside Titanium (NZ) (Tavistock), who was still not out to break any record at the head of affairs.
But the complexion of the race finally changed when the pace picked up from the 700m and the chasing pack were jolted into action.
The chase was on and with adrenaline fully-pumped, the seven runners were spread evenly across the track and all gunning for the top prize, which at that point, seemed swaying towards the War Affair camp, and definitely away from the first horse out, the fast-fading Titanium.
And then came that Debt Collector X-factor moment. Without warning, Brown's champion galloper just lifted his game, finding that extra length as he knows best how to do, to go and hit the line first with half-a-length to spare from a very gallant Quechua.
War Affair lost no marks to run third another neck away, a nose ahead of Mr Spielberg, with Well Done, who in the end started as the $12 favourite, a disappointing fifth another gap of 1 ½ lengths away. The winning time was 1min 50.37secs for the 1800m on the Long Course.
"This horse is an absolute freak. All week, I was not that confident he would win, but he's done it again," said Brown.
"I genuinely thought he would run third or fourth in the last 200m. It's only in the last 50m that he found again.
"To do what he did today was just amazing. He never puts a foot wrong.
"It's mission accomplished for him now. As I said, he's not running in the Gold Cup and will go for a break now. We will in due course let you know what is next for him."
Rodd echoed Brown's sentiments that he was also in an "oh no" moment when Debt Collector was taking a month of Sundays to go through his gears, but just when he thought he would bail out on him, he rose to the occasion and in the most brilliant fashion.
"There was a slow pace to the race early. When I saw Danny wanted to go forward on War Affair, I thought I would just stay three lengths clear."
"I didn't want to get caught on the fence and I was quite happy to be where I was. Those weight-for-age races are very tactical and you have to be a bit careful of how the speed unfolds.
"Down the back, Well Done was one length off me and Mr Spielberg was on my inside, and War Affair was still cantering, and I was thinking this was just an unknown scenario to us.
"But from the 600m, they quickened up, and I thought we were in trouble today. He ran off around the turn and changed his legs.
"He was still making ground steadily, but probably not putting in as brilliantly as I wished he would.
"But that is his make-up, he can just go through his gears at the right time. He's just an incredible horse, he's such a winner."
Debt Collector, who was rated 102 points before the Raffles Cup, may not yet be an idol in the same bracket as Rocket Man or even War Affair, but he is slowly but surely creeping his way up the ladder. He has now amassed close to $1.4 million in prizemoney for the Victorian-based Barree Stable. -STC