World Delight broke through for a long overdue victory when he took out the $125,000 Open Class Stakes over 1600 metres on Saturday.

It was the New Zealand-bred gelding¡¯s first success since he took out the Group 3 Three Rings Trophy over 12 months ago.

Well ridden by John Powell, World Delight scored a strong one-and-a-quarter length victory over Mexborough Ladd (Ron Stewart) with No Limit (YF Leong) a nose away in third place.

World Delight storms home for John Powell's first leg of his winning double.

Trainer Steven Burridge said World Delight would take his place in the Group 3 Chairman¡¯s Trophy over 1800 metres at weight-for-age next Friday.

Burridge said the rain during the week had played into the hands of World Delight on Saturday.

“He jarred-up on the firm track last time and the rain this week just took the edge off the track,” he said.

The early pace was just steady with Zinly (J Farook) leading from No Limit and Raul (Sam Subian). Approaching the 800 metre mark, Din Azis sent Lim’s Zerperb to the front and he had opened up a two length lead coming to the hometurn.

All this while, Powell had World Delight back in sixth place and travelling smoothly. He angled out into the clear soon after straightening for home and the gelding quickly overhauled the leaders, holding a margin to the line.

Burridge said besides the firmness of the track when fifth behind Lim’s Zerperb over 1400 metres on February 23, he had also got too far out of his ground.

Following next week’s Chairman’s Trophy, Burridge has no firm plans for the gelding.

“I’ll see how he progresses in the Chairman’s before deciding on where to go from there,” he said.

Powell will stick with World Delight in next week’s race but admitted he will need to do everything right and then possibly a shade more to beat Onceuponatime in the Chairman’s.

It was a lucky pick-up ride for Powell on Saturday. Danny Beasley was offered the ride, but because of his commitment to Onceuponatime in the Chairman’s, connections wanted Powell to get the feel of the gelding prior to next week’s race.

“They wanted me to get the feel of him for next week but he’s going to have to be right at the top of his game to beat Onceuponatime,” Powell said.

“Maybe if the track is a bit on the soft side it may help him. He was feeling the track a bit today. He was getting his head up a bit which suggests he was feeling the ground.

“He needs it yielding to soft. That’s his best surface,” Powell said.

World Delight is a New Zealand-bred five-year-old by Mellifont from the Grosvenor mare Lady Anne. Saturday’s victory was his seventh from 30 starts and he now has prizemoney approaching $700,000 for the Top Champ Stable.

No Mercy (red cap) drives through a split to get the better of Guru Glee (Noel Callow,
yellow cap) and give Powell the second leg of his double.

Powell made it back-to-back victories when No Mercy took out the $55,000 Class 4 Stakes over 1800 metres aboard No Mercy.

The three-year-old, prepared by Don Baertschiger, had been unlucky at his previous couple of efforts before breaking through for his second win on Saturday.

No Mercy scored a three-quarter length victory over Guru Glee (Noel Callow) with Kipadi (Mark Gallagher) a further neck away third.

Last start No Mercy drew off the track, but on Saturday No Mercy drew a good gate.

“He had a lovely run on the rails today,” Powell said. “I rode him badly last time from the draw but he got the favours today.”

No Mercy is a three-year-old son of Postponed from the Brief Truce mare Vorst. Saturday’s victory was his second from eight starts and took his prizemoney to around the $100,000 mark for the Auric Stable.

Copyright 2008 Singapore Turf Club