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Trainer Patrick Shaw’s yard came out all guns blazing on New Year’s Day when he combined with stalwart owner Fred Crabbia to snare the first three races of the New Year Cup meeting on Tuesday.
Photo by Singapore Turf Club
The South African handler kicked off last season with the very first winner – Always Happy in the Welcome 2012 Handicap (Class 4) on New Year’s Day 2012, but went three times better this year.
After Don Inaki took out the Welcome 2013 Stakes, a Maiden-1 race over 1200m on Polytrack, Shaw, who claimed the 2011 Singapore trainer’s premiership but could only finish sixth last year, certainly outdid himself this year (Always Happy turned out to be their solitary winner on that day) with two more winners one after another – Board Walk and Valevole.
Besides all sporting the black and red maltese silks of Crabbia, the trio of winners all started as firm favourites in their respective races.
Board Walk scored his maiden win third-up in the second race, the $65,000 Newbury Racing Stable Stakes (1200m) on Polytrack while Valevole made the $125,000 Happiness 2013 Stakes, an Open race over 1100m a one-act affair from start to finish.
The other interesting anecdote about Shaw’s and Crabbia’s hat-trick of wins was they were all ridden by three different jockeys with No 1 jockey Barend Vorster still away on a skiing holiday in Austria.
Don Inaki was ridden by John Powell, Board Walk had Stephen Baster aboard while Greg Cheyne did the honours on Valevole.
With Shaw still on his annual holidays back in South Africa, it was left to assistant-trainer Ricardo Le Grange to lead in the three winners, accompanied by his visiting parents and brother. Le Grange for one certainly remembered the yard’s budding affinity for the New Year’s opening event.
“Always Happy won for us in the first race last year, and we’ve done it again this year. It’s fantastic, more so when we’ve won two more races,” said Le Grange after the third leg of the winning treble.
“The only thing is Barend could not ride this time as he’s still skiing in Austria, but Johnny, Stephen and Greg were kind enough to take the rides and they’ve all done a great job.
“I was just saying to the family that this doesn’t happen too often and you have to make hay while the sun shines.
“We finished last year off really well and it was a matter of keeping the horses ticking over during the break in racing.
“It’s good to get a few wins on the board before some of the other big guns come out.
“I’ve been on the phone to Pat (who is back in South Africa on holiday) and he’s quite chuffed with the way things have started out. It’s a great start to the year for the whole team and I have a special thought for him, his wife Wendy and Fred.”
Le Grange labelled Don Inaki, an Argentinian-bred gelding by Pure Prize, as a “frustrating horse” for punters and connections alike.
“He’s been a frustrating horse, but to his credit, he’s a trier and has already earned $80,000 before today’s first win,” said Shaw’s right-hand man.
“It’s very pleasing he’s finally won a race for Fred (Crabbia). We decided from barrier No 1, he would be better off to lead and he’s gone all the way for a soft win in the end.”
Le Grange was suitably impressed with the victory of Board Walk, an American-bred who had officially turned three on New Year’s Day as a Northern Hemisphere-born individual.
“He’s a lovely little horse who is only going to get better as he gets out over a longer journey,” said Le Grange.
“He’s still a bit on the immature side but he’s shown us ability right from day one and Stephen gave him a great ride today.
“The question we had was whether he’d have the speed to win over 1200m but on his first two runs we didn’t think that would be a problem in his right race.
“He’s got a nice future ahead of him and when he gets up in distance I think there will be a few more wins come his way.
The win gave Baster the perfect start to the 2013 season after he finished second on the Jockey’s Premiership last year, his first season in Singapore.
“It’s good to get a win for Pat,” said Baster who has already ridden a winner on the Malayan Racing Association circuit when he steered Mr Big to victory in the Malaysian Magic Millions Classic last Sunday.
“I don’t think I had a lot of rides for him last year but I can now add him to the list of trainers that I’ve ridden a winner for here in Singapore.
“There’s not too many here that I haven’t ridden a winner for.
“This (Board Walk) is a nice horse but he’s still got a bit of learning to do. He’s really still a two-year-old as he’s an American bred and he’s going to be even better off over further.”
As for Valevole, Shaw’s right-hand man praised the Brazilian-bred four-year-old's consistency in getting close to record time.
“This horse is now starting to show us the promise he has always had,” said Le Grange.
“Last time out he was just 0.01 sec outside of the record and today he has gone and bettered it.
“Naturally he was helped by the scratchings from the race but now that he knows what winning is about, hopefully he can keep it going.”