Best Tothelign
Singapore Turf Club
Honest galloper Best Tothelign turned around his last two ordinary runs by springing right back to the top with a smashing victory in the $125,000 Kranji Stakes A race over 1600m on Sunday.
Save for one first win at his inaugural 2016 run, last year's Group 3 Colonial Chief Stakes winner had not quite lived up to that top billing thereafter. The form noticeably tapered off, as evidenced by his last two unfinished placings, both at Group level, in the Group 2 Chairman's Trophy (1800m) and the Group 3 Saas Fee Stakes (1400m).
But trainer Shane Baertschiger never wrote off the son of Align, who after all won eight races for him and was arguably his best performer in 2015. He had excuses for both failures, and was confident he could atone if he gets the right breaks.
Ridden by John Powell, Best Tothelign ($41) settled three pairs back off a solid tempo set by the duelling pair of Twickenham (Vlad Duric) and Slew Of Lode (Nooresh Juglall). Heading down towards the home turn, Powell allowed his mount to improve around horses to be without striking distance at the top of the straight.
Just a few shakes of the reins along with a few cracks of the whip were needed for Best Tothelign to dart to the front with a sizeable break that kept widening with every stride.
It was stablemate Blue Swede (Matthew Kellady) who came with a weaving run late to finish second another 1 ¾ lengths away while favourite Kirks Ryker (Barend Vorster) never quickened from his economical run on the rails to settle for third place another gap of three lengths away, a nose ahead of Daniel (Glen Boss).
The winning time was 1min 34.21secs for the mile on the Long Course.
"Two starts back, he didn't stay the 1800m and at his last run, he came back with bruised heels," said Baertschiger.
"We saw his run in the Colonial Chief Stakes last year, that when he hit the front, he couldn't quite quicken away, but today dropping him back to the mile suited him.
"He's shown us what he was capable of. He will be going for the Colonial Chief Stakes again.
"Blue Swede ran very well, too. He probably has the most ability in my stable, but you just never know when he'll turn up.
"He will head towards the Colonial Chief Stakes, too."
The Group 3 Polytrack race over 1700m is the last feature race on the Singapore racing calendar and will be held on the last meeting of the season, on December 4. Ridden by Kellady then, Best Tothelign dead-heated with the Desmond Koh-trained Order Of The Sun (Benny Woodworth) in last year's edition.
Powell, who has ridden the MA Racing Stable-owned Best Tothelign to around half of his outings for only his second winning ride, would definitely put his hand up for the Colonial Chief Stakes ride.
"We were hoping to lead or sit outside the leader, but the speed was on and they really rolled along early," said the Australian jockey.
"We had a nice spot and as I didn't want them to get too far ahead, I started to improve from the back.
"I probably got there a little too soon, but to his credit, he fought on very well."
Best Tothelign is proving to be a handy moneyspinner to his connections, having now amassed more than $550,000 in prizemoney.
Save for one first win at his inaugural 2016 run, last year's Group 3 Colonial Chief Stakes winner had not quite lived up to that top billing thereafter. The form noticeably tapered off, as evidenced by his last two unfinished placings, both at Group level, in the Group 2 Chairman's Trophy (1800m) and the Group 3 Saas Fee Stakes (1400m).
But trainer Shane Baertschiger never wrote off the son of Align, who after all won eight races for him and was arguably his best performer in 2015. He had excuses for both failures, and was confident he could atone if he gets the right breaks.
Ridden by John Powell, Best Tothelign ($41) settled three pairs back off a solid tempo set by the duelling pair of Twickenham (Vlad Duric) and Slew Of Lode (Nooresh Juglall). Heading down towards the home turn, Powell allowed his mount to improve around horses to be without striking distance at the top of the straight.
Just a few shakes of the reins along with a few cracks of the whip were needed for Best Tothelign to dart to the front with a sizeable break that kept widening with every stride.
It was stablemate Blue Swede (Matthew Kellady) who came with a weaving run late to finish second another 1 ¾ lengths away while favourite Kirks Ryker (Barend Vorster) never quickened from his economical run on the rails to settle for third place another gap of three lengths away, a nose ahead of Daniel (Glen Boss).
The winning time was 1min 34.21secs for the mile on the Long Course.
"Two starts back, he didn't stay the 1800m and at his last run, he came back with bruised heels," said Baertschiger.
"We saw his run in the Colonial Chief Stakes last year, that when he hit the front, he couldn't quite quicken away, but today dropping him back to the mile suited him.
"He's shown us what he was capable of. He will be going for the Colonial Chief Stakes again.
"Blue Swede ran very well, too. He probably has the most ability in my stable, but you just never know when he'll turn up.
"He will head towards the Colonial Chief Stakes, too."
The Group 3 Polytrack race over 1700m is the last feature race on the Singapore racing calendar and will be held on the last meeting of the season, on December 4. Ridden by Kellady then, Best Tothelign dead-heated with the Desmond Koh-trained Order Of The Sun (Benny Woodworth) in last year's edition.
Powell, who has ridden the MA Racing Stable-owned Best Tothelign to around half of his outings for only his second winning ride, would definitely put his hand up for the Colonial Chief Stakes ride.
"We were hoping to lead or sit outside the leader, but the speed was on and they really rolled along early," said the Australian jockey.
"We had a nice spot and as I didn't want them to get too far ahead, I started to improve from the back.
"I probably got there a little too soon, but to his credit, he fought on very well."
Best Tothelign is proving to be a handy moneyspinner to his connections, having now amassed more than $550,000 in prizemoney.