Trainer Steven Burridge saddled a double on Sunday when a horse he had bought with the Derby mind got up in a Class 4 Div 1 1200m race.

Happiness Come once ran a 2500m Group 1 race in Adelaide before he continued his career in Singapore for the Australian handler.

 
Taib Affandi sools Happiness Come to victory in race 11 on Sunday.

“I actually bought him last year with this year’s Derby in mind but when the EI (Equine Influenza) broke out, that put paid to the plan,” said Burridge.

“To be honest I was disappointed with his last run. I was expecting a lot better than what he did.”

The Anabaa five-year-old stayed one-paced in a Novice 1400m race on August 29, beaten 2 ½ lengths by Noble One, but had the excuse of having cast his plate.

There was no letting down his trainer in the $55,000 race this time.

“I thought he would run well today over 1200m as he was fresh. I just did not expect him to win at such short odds,” said Burridge.

Starting at a warm $19, Happiness Come was settled worse than midfield by Burridge’s apprentice Taib Affandi. Turning for home he still looked a remote chance as he was still spotting the leader Chancellor about eight lengths.

But once Affandi steered him out wide into the clear, he started to gobble up the ground and swept past Hey Toro (Saimee Jumaat) who was being hailed the winner with 150m to go.

Happiness Come scored by 2 ¼ lengths from Hey Toro, with Swift Strong (Soo Khoon Beng) completing the trifecta, a neck away.

Copyright 2008 Singapore Turf Club
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 

It took all of jockey Danny Beasley’s science in the saddle to get $11 favourite Invader home on Sunday.

The former Malaysian-based galloper who was bidding for a second win in Kranji following his debut win on August 24, got caught in all sorts of traffic problems at the 200m when the gap closed and he clipped heels with another runner.

But the former Sydney rider did not panic and quickly switched out to the outside, let his horse regain his composure before turning on the switch again for that last winning burst.

 
Invader (Danny Beasley) gets up in the nick of time to touch out Nattier (Robbie Fradd) in race seven on Sunday.

The son of O’Reilly dashed home like a “true professional” to get the better of second favourite Nattier (Robbie Fradd) by a neck in the $55,000 Class 4 Division 2 race (1200m).

“He may have looked green in the concluding stages but it’s the other horses who made him look like that. He’s actually a very professional horse,” said Beasley upon dismounting.

“He had a tendency to run around. I wanted to go for the inside but when the gap closed switched back to the outside and it didn’t help his cause when he clipped heels while shifting across heels.

“I had to let him free and find his action again. He put it together again but he was still trying to wander. It’s only in the last 100m that he really got going to win narrowly.”

Trainer Steven Burridge was thrilled at the two-from-two of this relative newcomer to his yard.

“He’s had two gallops over the week and worked beautifully on Monday. He has a bit of soft tissue on his near fore which we have to handle with care,” said Burridge.

“I will have him scanned and see how it’s pulled up after this run. We have to take it easy with this horse.”

Raced by Vivo Stable, Invader had only one start in Kuala Lumpur (second over 1200m) before he relocated in Singapore. Following his Kranji double, he is now a stakes winner of close to $75,000.