Trainer Laurie Laxon was not all that disappointed with Mr Scorsese in the Group 2 Singapore Three-Year-Old Classic (1400m), but did have a cautionary tale to tell about the pitfalls of changing a horse's racing pattern.
"I had a very good two-year-old filly who at her first race missed the start by three lengths. It was an 880m race and she still went on to win by three," said the Kiwi horseman, who is never short of a yarn or two whenever he wants to make a point.
"We then tried to race her handy but she could never win running that way. She then went to Sydney to be trained by Brian Mayfield-Smith and won the Thousand Guineas, Canterbury Guineas and the Rosehill Guineas there, every time coming from well off the speed.
"She then came back to me in New Zealand and won the Air New Zealand Stakes first-up over 2000m! She beat Castletown (trained then by ex-Kranji trainer Paddy Busuttin) by a head. Her name was Riverina Charm."
Now, Laxon is far from putting Mr Scorsese in the same league as the star mare, who also went on to become a great broodmare. He just wants to draw a parallel about horses who go awry when ridden "upside down".
Sent out as the $18 favourite in the Classic, the second Leg of the Singapore Three-Year-Old Challenge, Mr Scorsese, a son of Pentire, raced a lot closer to the pace after jumping from a good barrier, but weakened out of it to run fifth to Debt Collector.
Laxon did not blame Vlad Duric for the ride as he said he would probably have done the same thing and capitalised on the low draw if he was the jockey himself.
"Vlad got off and told me the same thing; he had to make use of his good draw. I was happy with his ride," said the nine-time Singapore champion trainer Laxon.
"It's only in hindsight that we know now we should have given him a more patient ride. We shouldn't rush him and should just let the world go by."
Until the last Leg, the $500,000 Group 1 Singapore Guineas (1600m) comes around on Sunday, Laxon had a chance to apply those quieter tactics on Mr Scorsese in Tuesday's barrier trials.
The grey still jumped well to sit quite handy in third but Duric had him on the bridle throughout, just allowing him to coast, before dropping to fifth place, around two lengths off Order Of The Sun without being bustled up.
"We didn't want to give him too hard a trial. He looked good to me, he still had plenty," said Laxon.
Duric also gave the thumbs-up after he jumped off though he still remained respectful of the opposition which looks like the Classic reloaded with 10 familiar faces from the second Leg back in the fray, including the four who finished ahead of him, Debt Collector, Nova Strike, Magnum and Peer Gynt as well as fast closers Fitzroy and Infantry and the luckless Rafaello (severely checked in home straight).
"He's going real good. We wanted to just give him a soft trial this morning," said the Australian jockey, whose red-hot form was cooled by a blank day last Sunday.
"I hope he holds that form in the Guineas. It will be a tough field but I can only hope for a good ride."
Raced by champion owner Oscar Racing Stable, Mr Scorsese won his first two races in identical come-from-behind style before tasting his first defeat in the Classic. Duric could have ridden Fitzroy or Debt Collector in the race having ridden and won on both Cliff Brown three-year-olds before, but has stuck his neck out for Laxon's grey. -STC
"I had a very good two-year-old filly who at her first race missed the start by three lengths. It was an 880m race and she still went on to win by three," said the Kiwi horseman, who is never short of a yarn or two whenever he wants to make a point.
"We then tried to race her handy but she could never win running that way. She then went to Sydney to be trained by Brian Mayfield-Smith and won the Thousand Guineas, Canterbury Guineas and the Rosehill Guineas there, every time coming from well off the speed.
"She then came back to me in New Zealand and won the Air New Zealand Stakes first-up over 2000m! She beat Castletown (trained then by ex-Kranji trainer Paddy Busuttin) by a head. Her name was Riverina Charm."
Now, Laxon is far from putting Mr Scorsese in the same league as the star mare, who also went on to become a great broodmare. He just wants to draw a parallel about horses who go awry when ridden "upside down".
Sent out as the $18 favourite in the Classic, the second Leg of the Singapore Three-Year-Old Challenge, Mr Scorsese, a son of Pentire, raced a lot closer to the pace after jumping from a good barrier, but weakened out of it to run fifth to Debt Collector.
Laxon did not blame Vlad Duric for the ride as he said he would probably have done the same thing and capitalised on the low draw if he was the jockey himself.
"Vlad got off and told me the same thing; he had to make use of his good draw. I was happy with his ride," said the nine-time Singapore champion trainer Laxon.
"It's only in hindsight that we know now we should have given him a more patient ride. We shouldn't rush him and should just let the world go by."
Until the last Leg, the $500,000 Group 1 Singapore Guineas (1600m) comes around on Sunday, Laxon had a chance to apply those quieter tactics on Mr Scorsese in Tuesday's barrier trials.
The grey still jumped well to sit quite handy in third but Duric had him on the bridle throughout, just allowing him to coast, before dropping to fifth place, around two lengths off Order Of The Sun without being bustled up.
"We didn't want to give him too hard a trial. He looked good to me, he still had plenty," said Laxon.
Duric also gave the thumbs-up after he jumped off though he still remained respectful of the opposition which looks like the Classic reloaded with 10 familiar faces from the second Leg back in the fray, including the four who finished ahead of him, Debt Collector, Nova Strike, Magnum and Peer Gynt as well as fast closers Fitzroy and Infantry and the luckless Rafaello (severely checked in home straight).
"He's going real good. We wanted to just give him a soft trial this morning," said the Australian jockey, whose red-hot form was cooled by a blank day last Sunday.
"I hope he holds that form in the Guineas. It will be a tough field but I can only hope for a good ride."
Raced by champion owner Oscar Racing Stable, Mr Scorsese won his first two races in identical come-from-behind style before tasting his first defeat in the Classic. Duric could have ridden Fitzroy or Debt Collector in the race having ridden and won on both Cliff Brown three-year-olds before, but has stuck his neck out for Laxon's grey. -STC