3 minute read
While the winning run in Dubai may have come to an end for the Steven Burridge stable he still scored an early double back home in Singapore on Friday night.
Photo by Singapore Turf Club
Burridge was in Dubai to saddle Ip Man in the Meydan Classic Trial over 1400m but the gelding could only beat one runner to the line under Oscar Chavez.
Wife Julie was left in charge of the team back home in Singapore and after winning the $65,000 Initiation Stakes over 1400m with Shortcut they backed it up with the short-priced favourite Shuttle Man in the $55,000 Class 4 Div. 1 Stakes over 1400m.
Ridden by Joao Moreira, Shuttle Man scored a comfortable three length victory over Dragon Spirit (Soo Khoon Beng) with Bieber (Stephen Baster) running on for third, two lengths away.
Moreira had Shuttle Man, who returned a win dividend of $5.30, racing in third place to the hometurn behind Dragon Spirit and Sir Fleetwood (Barend Vorster).
Rounding the turn Moreira edged his way towards the centre of the course to unleash his finishing effort.
Whereas on debut he quickly put the race beyond doubt and raced away to a seven-and-a-half length victory on January 13, Shuttle Man was made to work a little harder for this victory.
Still he ran the time in 1 min 23.77 secs, 0.9 secs quicker than the previous quickest of the four races run over the 1400m course.
“That was nice and impressive,” said Julie Burridge. “He looked as though he got a bit lost there for a while but I really liked the way he hit the line.
“It is the first time that he has been really harassed in his work. He's still got some growing to do but he is developing into a very nice horse.
“He's got as much potential as any horse we have in the stable but if he didn't win tonight then he would still have gained from the experience.
“We haven't been forced to knock him around in his work to date and this win will do him the world of good.”
Moreira echoed the thoughts of Burridge and said Shuttle Man still had plenty to learn on the racetrack.
“He doesn't know how to race yet,” said Moreira. “He's still very green but has a lot of ability.
“The track has some give in it and there was a bit of kickback which he has to get used to.
“Steven and Julie have done an excellent job with this horse, especially Julie who has done 100% of the work with him.
“I think he is a really nice horse and I hope to stay on him. I think he has a very good future.”
The win by Shuttle Man provided Moreira with his third winner for the night having previously scored aboard Danny in the opening race and then Social Network in the $35,000 Class 5 Div. 1 Stakes over 1400m.
A three-year-old Japanese-bred by Taiki Spirit from the Sunday Silence mare Sunday Kiss, Shuttle Man is raced by the Big Valley Stable – owners of another Japanese-bred galloper El Dorado, the winner of three of the past four Singapore Gold Cups.
El Dorado is prepared by Japanese trainer Hideyuki Takaoka who himself was not left out of Friday's celebrations at the winner's circle with a winner in the last event of the nine-race programme - exciting Australian-bred filly Better Life ($9) who kept her unbeaten run intact with a third success in the $55,000 Class 4 Division 2 race over 1400m.
Ridden by comeback jockey Alan Munro, the Smarty Jones three-year-old was originally caught wide midfield but gradually improved to be within striking distance at the top of the straight.
The filly was still on the bridle at the 300m and once Munro gave her her head, she just toyed with the opposition to win as she pleased, scoring in a hand-canter by five lengths from Affirmation (Greg Cheyne) with Foreign Exchange (Moreira) third another 1 ¾ lengths away. The winning time was 1min 24.55secs.