Trainer Steven Burridge was glad to finally win a race with Texter and get some overdue prizemoney in the $35,000 Maiden Stakes over 1800 metres on Friday night.

Burridge described Texter, ridden by Din Azis (pictured), as a “very average horse” despite his half-length victory over Zoom (Danny Beasley). Hello Clint (Mohd Airy) was a further two lengths away third.

“He’d run second a few times and third once but I was starting to despair with him,” Burridge said.

“He’s a very average horse who was put in the bullring this morning. The idea was to sharpen him up. It probably worked with him tonight.”

Message finally through: Texter (Din Azis) sheds maiden status at 22nd start.

Burridge paid good money for Texter, a five-year-old, after the then two-year-old won a trial at Cranbourne some three-and-a-half years ago.

“I think I paid $100,000 for him after a Cranbourne trial win,” he said. “It’s taken a long time for him to win a race and I’m just glad to win with him and get some money back.”

Candour Stripes (Adam Fiezan) led the field narrowly over Muscles (John Powell) hunting up to hold the fence. Zoom was caught three wide early before Beasley was able to get the one-one sit on him.

As the field came to the corner, Muscles held a narrow lead over Candour Stripes with Zoom easing three wide under a good hold from Beasley.

Zoom cruised to the lead but as he took over he was quickly collared by Texter and the pair drew clear from their rivals and settled down to a two horse war. Despite laying-in over the final 200 metres, Texter drew clear on the line to score a solid win.

Din Azis said to Burridge that Texter had been hanging-in all the way up the straight and Burridge admitted to concerns that there may have been a protest, but after watching the head-on replay was relieved with what he saw.

Texter is a Australian-bred son of Dexter from the Al Khawaaneeg mare Ritual River and his win on Friday night came at start number 22 and took his prizemoney to around the $50,000 mark. He is owned by Burridge and his wife Julie.

Copyright 2006 Singapore Turf Club