3 minute read
Trainer Michael Freedman collected a feature race double when Nandowra took out the Group 3 $200,000 JBBA Moonbeam Vase over 1800m on Sunday.
Freedman had previously scored in the Group 3 Kranji Sprint over 1200m with all-the-way victor Mr Big and Nandowra won the Moonbeam Vase under similar circumstances.
Ridden by visiting Melbourne jockey Craig Williams, Nandowra prevailed by a head over Silveron Wings (Ivaldo Santana) with Chase Me (Jose Verenzuela) a short-head away third.
Williams was in Singapore for just 15 hours, arriving at 6am before flying back to Melbourne on the 9pm flight to ride at the Caulfield meeting on Monday, and rated Nandowra to perfection at the head of affairs.
Nandowra led the way over Aserious (Joao Moreira) with Clint (Stephen Baster) next in line. The running order changed little with the exception of Paulinho (Barend Vorster) which had made a move before the hometurn was reached to be in third position.
Moreira on Aserious made the first move and swooped on the lead and got a good half-length in front of Nandowra who was starting to get his head up.
While the gelding looked beaten Williams was able to extract the best from the gelding and again gain the ascendency when all of a sudden Silveron Wings swooped down the outside to make it a close contest.
At one stage after looking to winner with 300m to run, Aserious wilted to finish fourth in a blanket finish.
Freedman expressed some concern to Williams prior to the race as to whether Nandowra would handle the soft track as he had failed at his only previous attempt.
“I didn't know how he would go on that surface,” said Freedman. “He failed in the Singapore Gold Cup at his only previous run on a soft track.
“I was prepared to forgive that run as he hadn't had the right preparation for the race and I think that track was also a little worse than what he was on today.
“I said to Craig to try and go forward and lead on him as there didn't look to be much pace.
“When he was headed soon after straightening he didn't look to be handling the ground but Craig picked him up when he needed to and got the best out of him.”
Freedman said Nandowra would now have a break before being prepared for the Group 1 Emirates Singapore Derby over 2000m in July.
“I was keen to try him over a bit of ground on the turf and he's come through it well,” said Freedman.
“He'll go and have a let-up now and we'll look towards the Derby with him in July.
“Even though he's a four-year-old he's still learning what racing is all about and when he finally puts it altogether I think he might be a handy stayer of the future.”
Williams, who rode Ortensia to victory in the Group 1 Al Quoz Sprint over 1000m on Dubai World Cup night, said he was lucky enough to get the phone call to come-up to Singapore and ride Masthead, which finished third behind Mr Big in the Kranji Sprint, and then land the money aboard Nandowra.
“Michael has placed this horse very well and it was a good effort by him today,” said Williams.
“I had watched all his tapes and I knew he was a horse that didn't win his races by a big margin.
“We didn't go too fast in the lead. The other horse probably got a good half-length in front of him and I liked how he showed a lot of fight.
“I think he's going to really eat up the Derby distance and if Michael has him at the top of his form for that race then he's going to run a great race.”
Nandowra has proved to be a model of consistency since beginning his racing career in Singapore 14 months ago.
A four-year-old by Savabeel from the O'Reilly mare Fabaz, Nandowra has won seven of his 14 starts with a further four minor placings and Sunday's victory took his prizemoney earnings past the $460,000 mark for the Results Stable.