|
Former
Malaysian galloper Captain Obvious lived right up to his high rating with an
impressive all-the-way victory in the $125,000 Kranji Stakes A over 1400m on
Friday night.
Ridden by
apprentice Koh Teck Huat, Captain Obvious scored by two-and-three-quarter
lengths over Ato (Barend Vorster) with Maurice Utrillo (Olivier Placais)
running on for third, a neck away.
With a MRA
rating of 117, Captain Obvious was clearly the best performed galloper in
the 11 horse line-up and with 59.5kg he didn¡¯t look
too harshly treated.
Bold front-running grey galloper
Captain Obvious (Koh Teck Huat) goes all the
way in Race 8 on Friday.
But trainer Steven Burridge
pulled an inspired move by engaging Koh and taking 3kg off his allotted
weight.
A bold front runner, Koh had
Captain Obvious quickly out of the barriers and drove him hard to cross the
field to lead on settling down over McClintock (John Powell) with Ato and
Amadeus Mozart (Ronnie Stewart) in close attendance.
Koh was then able to get
Captain Obvious to relax in front and was under a good hold as the hometurn
was reached.
On straightening Vorster pushed
out into the clear and looked like making a race of it with Captain Obvious,
but Koh got to work on the f$17 avourite and he quickly opened up a two
length break on the field which he held to the line.
Burridge said Koh rode the
gelding to instructions and the lighter weight certainly helped him.
¡°He¡¯d been carrying 58 and 59kg
since coming down here and I think he really appreciated the lighter weight
tonight,¡± said Burridge.
¡°It was good to see him win another race. He came down
and was successful and it¡¯s good to see him come
through again.
¡°Koh rode him very well. He cuddled him up in front and
he¡¯s a horse that will always finds under pressure
for you.¡±
Burridge said he favoured
giving Captain Obvious a short break before preparing him for a trip to Dubai in
the New Year.
¡°We¡¯ve got him entered for Hong
Kong at the end of the year but I think going to Dubai might
be a better option,¡± said Burridge.
¡°There are some nice races over there that might suit him
and I¡¯ve certainly got Dubai in
the back of my mind for him.¡±
For Koh it was the second leg
of a winning double after scoring in the opening race of the night aboard
Tormenta in the $35,000 Maiden Stakes over 1200m on the Polytrack.
It was Koh¡¯s
third double for the year having recorded the feat back in January and again
in June.
Apprenticed to Laurie Laxon,
Koh has partnered some of Laxon¡¯s better performed
gallopers including evergreen Waikato.
¡°I¡¯ve got to thank the trainer
for giving me the chance,¡± said Koh after the
victory. ¡°I think he¡¯s
possibly the best horse I¡¯ve ridden, well the best
winner anyway.¡±
A six-year-old Australian-bred
by Verglas from the Tirol mare Shathor,
Captain Obvious has won 12 of his 20 starts for the Milton Stable.
|
Rare Earth knocks in a double for happy team
|
|
Craig Brennan
Sunday, October 30, 2011
|
|
Trainer
Steven Burridge and the Hippocrates Stable were in the winner¡¯s circle for the second time in quick succession when
Rare Earth took out the $55,000 Class 4 Div. 2 Stakes over 1400m.
After
winning with outsider Tavan Bogd in the $65,000 Restricted Maiden, the
team followed up in the very next race under an inspired ride by Saimee
Jumaat.
Coming
from off the pace, Saimee drive hard aboard Rare Earth to record a
three-quarter length victory over Roman Empire (Joao Moreira) with
Affirmation (Tan Wei Li) a length away third.
Rare Earth proves a winning pick-up ride for jockey
Saimee Jumaat.
The win for Saimee was a
lucky pick-up ride as he replaced Vlad Duric who was sidelined with a
thumb injury.
It was also revenge for
Saimee following his defeat aboard Indicio, another Duric pick-up ride,
which was grabbed late by Moreira on Tavan Bogd in the previous race.
Burridge said it was a nice
change of luck to have a running double after enduring a quiet month of
October and it placed him just seven wins astern of Patrick Shaw in the
race to try and claim a second consecutive Trainer¡¯s
Premiership title.
¡°It has been a little quiet of late so it¡¯s good to turn the luck around,¡±
said Burridge.
¡°This horse has been quite troublesome throughout his
brief career. He¡¯s shown a ton of ability but
also does a lot wrong in his races.
¡°He was suited today as they went quite hard up front
and he really finished the race off strongly.
¡°I¡¯m certainly happy that he
found his winning form again.¡±
Burridge said a lot of work
had gone into Rare Earth following his first two starts in an effort to ¡°get his head right¡±.
¡°Mick Lockett has done a lot of work with this horse
getting him to relax,¡± said Burridge.
¡°He rides him in all of his work and the horse is
finally working the way he should be.¡±
A four-year-old New Zealand-bred gelding
by Stravinsky from the
Kaapstad
mare
Mountain
Mist, Rare Earth recorded his second win from six starts on Sunday and
took his prizemoney to around $75,000 with his success.
|
|