The Hornet takes final Leg of 3YO Challenge
Michael Lee/Craig Brennan
Sunday, July 27, 2008
The third and final Leg of the Singapore Three-Year-Old Challenge lived up to its top billing of a battle that would separate the men from the boys, and on Sunday, The Hornet, probably the best miler of the lot, emerged to upstage hot favourite Big Maverick.
The build-up to the $450,000 Group 2 race run over the mile had all along put Big Maverick, the winner of the first two legs, on a high perch that most well-wishers would have loved to see him stay on, but if there were to be a horse to spoil the party it was always going to be The Hornet.
Douglas Dragon’s “best horse for a long time” as the veteran trainer emotionally called him after the race, had shown serious intentions of denying Big Maverick a cleansweep with a fast-finishing second in the second Leg, despite taking a bit of buffeting during the running of the 1400m race.
The mile would suit him better, had declared Dragon and the son of deceased stallion High Yield could not have endorsed that assertion better inside the last furlong.
A jubilant Gavin McKeon celebrates victory aboard The Hornet in the final Leg of the Three-Year-Old Challenge on Sunday.
Big Maverick (Saimee Jumaat), who admittedly did not have the easiest of journeys, toughing it out three deep after jumping from an awkward alley in barrier 10, still looked the most likely to claim victory (plus a $150,000 bonus for winning all three Legs) when he swept to the lead at the 400m once Dylan (Robbie Fradd) started to lose ground, knocking up to run last.
The Hornet had in the meantime been angled down the middle of the track and started to mount his challenge with 250m to go.
The final furlong panned out as scripted by most racing pundits – the two best horses locked into a stirring battle down the Kranji straight. The Hornet stuck his head out at the 100m but Big Maverick showed he was not about to concede defeat so summarily.
But under jockey Gavin McKeon’s urgings, The Hornet kept finding more to outstay a vanquished but proud runner-up in Big Maverick by ¾ length at the wire. Ace Amigo (Noel Callow) ran third another 2 ½ lengths away.
“The horse has been working well since his last second to Big Maverick,” said Dragon, all moved to have notched his first Group race since Sky Frontier took out the Group 3 Committee’s Prize in 2002.
“I knew if he beat Big Maverick today, he would win. It’s been a while since I’ve had a horse like The Hornet in my stable. “I’ve won the Selangor Tunku Gold Cup with Ace Jet and the Perak Derby with Trustworthy, and then nothing. “He will go for a break and just give him an easy time. We will take it one step at a time.”
The Hornet ran the 1600m in a sizzling 1min 34.8secs just 0.6 seconds outside Kim Angel's record. He has now earned close to $500,000 in prizemoney for his owner Choo Thiam Huat.The happy connections of The Hornet following his victory in the 3rd Leg of the Three-Year-Old Challenge.
The normally placid McKeon, who decided to return to New Zealand after his current three-and-a-half licence runs out on August 3, was so overjoyed with his first feature win at Kranji, that he could not help waving his whip in delight a few strides before the winning post, incurring him a $500 fine for the outburst. “I’ve ridden many Group 1 wins back home (New Zealand) but this has to be up there with my best moments,” said the Australian, who however was based in New Zealand before his Singapore stint. “I will definitely come back as soon as I can to continue my association with The Hornet once my commitments with Spin Around in New Zealand are over. “I’ve earmarked The Hornet as my Derby horse ever since I first jumped on him.
“My horse began well but there was a lot more speed than what I had anticipated. I then elected to sit off the speed, and I was lucky to have Big Maverick on my outside and Ace Amigo on my inside, the two horses to beat.
“All I had to do is follow them and nurse and nurse him into the straight. He was still full of running at the top of the straight and once he got in the clear he just kept finding.”
Trainer Laurie Laxon was also full of praise with the effort of Big Maverick, who was attempting to become the first horse to win the three Legs since Southerly Wind in 1997 when the Challenge was known as the Tiger Beer Triple Challenge. “It’s pretty hard to race three wide and win against quality opposition like that,” said Laxon. “The winner was always one to be concerned with. He shaped as though the 1600m was going to be an ideal trip for him.”
Saimee was also glowing in his report of Big Maverick following the race. “We were three wide and just couldn’t get in,” said Saimee. “But I was impressed with the way he toughed the race out. “He’d only been to the 1600m once before and hadn’t won at the trip. Maybe if he had an easier run, the result could have been different.”
Laxon also saddled up third-placed Ace Amigo and Dylan. Jockey Noel Callow reported to Laxon that Ace Amigo was a better galloper with a “bit of cut” in the ground while Fradd reported that Dylan “wasn’t the same horse” as when he won on the gelding back in May.
Laxon said the three gallopers would all have a break. “You can’t send them anywhere here,” he said. “They can just have a break without being saddled and do a bit of swimming. That should freshen them up nicely.”
Finally The Hornet obliged, i had been putting money on his since the first leg, finally won the third and final leg. Overall still make a bit of profit.
Michael Lee/Craig Brennan
Sunday, July 27, 2008
The third and final Leg of the Singapore Three-Year-Old Challenge lived up to its top billing of a battle that would separate the men from the boys, and on Sunday, The Hornet, probably the best miler of the lot, emerged to upstage hot favourite Big Maverick.
The build-up to the $450,000 Group 2 race run over the mile had all along put Big Maverick, the winner of the first two legs, on a high perch that most well-wishers would have loved to see him stay on, but if there were to be a horse to spoil the party it was always going to be The Hornet.
Douglas Dragon’s “best horse for a long time” as the veteran trainer emotionally called him after the race, had shown serious intentions of denying Big Maverick a cleansweep with a fast-finishing second in the second Leg, despite taking a bit of buffeting during the running of the 1400m race.
The mile would suit him better, had declared Dragon and the son of deceased stallion High Yield could not have endorsed that assertion better inside the last furlong.
A jubilant Gavin McKeon celebrates victory aboard The Hornet in the final Leg of the Three-Year-Old Challenge on Sunday.
Big Maverick (Saimee Jumaat), who admittedly did not have the easiest of journeys, toughing it out three deep after jumping from an awkward alley in barrier 10, still looked the most likely to claim victory (plus a $150,000 bonus for winning all three Legs) when he swept to the lead at the 400m once Dylan (Robbie Fradd) started to lose ground, knocking up to run last.
The Hornet had in the meantime been angled down the middle of the track and started to mount his challenge with 250m to go.
The final furlong panned out as scripted by most racing pundits – the two best horses locked into a stirring battle down the Kranji straight. The Hornet stuck his head out at the 100m but Big Maverick showed he was not about to concede defeat so summarily.
But under jockey Gavin McKeon’s urgings, The Hornet kept finding more to outstay a vanquished but proud runner-up in Big Maverick by ¾ length at the wire. Ace Amigo (Noel Callow) ran third another 2 ½ lengths away.
“The horse has been working well since his last second to Big Maverick,” said Dragon, all moved to have notched his first Group race since Sky Frontier took out the Group 3 Committee’s Prize in 2002.
“I knew if he beat Big Maverick today, he would win. It’s been a while since I’ve had a horse like The Hornet in my stable. “I’ve won the Selangor Tunku Gold Cup with Ace Jet and the Perak Derby with Trustworthy, and then nothing. “He will go for a break and just give him an easy time. We will take it one step at a time.”
The Hornet ran the 1600m in a sizzling 1min 34.8secs just 0.6 seconds outside Kim Angel's record. He has now earned close to $500,000 in prizemoney for his owner Choo Thiam Huat.The happy connections of The Hornet following his victory in the 3rd Leg of the Three-Year-Old Challenge.
The normally placid McKeon, who decided to return to New Zealand after his current three-and-a-half licence runs out on August 3, was so overjoyed with his first feature win at Kranji, that he could not help waving his whip in delight a few strides before the winning post, incurring him a $500 fine for the outburst. “I’ve ridden many Group 1 wins back home (New Zealand) but this has to be up there with my best moments,” said the Australian, who however was based in New Zealand before his Singapore stint. “I will definitely come back as soon as I can to continue my association with The Hornet once my commitments with Spin Around in New Zealand are over. “I’ve earmarked The Hornet as my Derby horse ever since I first jumped on him.
“My horse began well but there was a lot more speed than what I had anticipated. I then elected to sit off the speed, and I was lucky to have Big Maverick on my outside and Ace Amigo on my inside, the two horses to beat.
“All I had to do is follow them and nurse and nurse him into the straight. He was still full of running at the top of the straight and once he got in the clear he just kept finding.”
Trainer Laurie Laxon was also full of praise with the effort of Big Maverick, who was attempting to become the first horse to win the three Legs since Southerly Wind in 1997 when the Challenge was known as the Tiger Beer Triple Challenge. “It’s pretty hard to race three wide and win against quality opposition like that,” said Laxon. “The winner was always one to be concerned with. He shaped as though the 1600m was going to be an ideal trip for him.”
Saimee was also glowing in his report of Big Maverick following the race. “We were three wide and just couldn’t get in,” said Saimee. “But I was impressed with the way he toughed the race out. “He’d only been to the 1600m once before and hadn’t won at the trip. Maybe if he had an easier run, the result could have been different.”
Laxon also saddled up third-placed Ace Amigo and Dylan. Jockey Noel Callow reported to Laxon that Ace Amigo was a better galloper with a “bit of cut” in the ground while Fradd reported that Dylan “wasn’t the same horse” as when he won on the gelding back in May.
Laxon said the three gallopers would all have a break. “You can’t send them anywhere here,” he said. “They can just have a break without being saddled and do a bit of swimming. That should freshen them up nicely.”
Finally The Hornet obliged, i had been putting money on his since the first leg, finally won the third and final leg. Overall still make a bit of profit.