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An early mid-race move by jockey Greg Cheyne aboard Greenstone reaped rewards as the pair stole a march on their rivals on their way to landing the $55,000 Happiness & Prosperity Stakes Benchmark 67 race (2000m) on Monday.
Photo by Singapore Turf Club
The winning move came when race-leader Gordon Roberts (Koh Teck Huat) tried to stack up the speed down the backstraight, prompting Cheyne to roll forward from his fourth spot, or be left with the even stiffer task of playing catch-up later in the home straight.
After the US-bred four-year-old by Agnes Gold assumed control, Cheyne immediately slowed down the tempo before letting rip at the top of the straight. As Greenstone kicked clear, Lord Brompton (John Powell) was hooked out for his run, but in spite of his valiant effort, could only whittle down the margin to half-a-length on the line.
Greenstone’s stablemate Cannon Hill (Barend Vorster) also loomed as a threat at the 300m, but could not quite ping when needed to run third another three parts of a length away. The well-backed Darien Gap (Joao Moreira) did not live up to his short odds of $11, circling the field from last before dying on his run halfway up the home straight.
Greenstone ($25), who was racking up his third win from 10 starts, clocked the winning time of 2min 5.06secs at his very first venture over 1 ¼ miles, with 1800m the furthest he had raced up to beforehand.
Trainer Patrick Shaw said the winner’s pedigree had suggested all along he would comfortably see out the distance – which is the same trip the third Leg of the Singapore Four-Year-Old Challenge, the Group 1 Emirates Singapore Derby, is run over on July 14.
“He may be a Derby horse, but we’ll have to take it step by step. I’ve told (racing manager) Mel (Ezekiel) that on his pedigree he will see the trip without any problem,” said Shaw.
“He’s by Agnes Gold, who won over that distance in Japan, and his dam is by Unbridled who won the Kentucky Derby (2000m). What more can you ask?
“The only thing is he will have to learn to settle better before we even consider running him in the Derby.
“He can fight pretty hard with his jockeys as he pulls a lot. He’s been like that since that race when he was given a slap early at the start.
“Greg had no other choice but to let him stride forward when he started pulling. He rode a brilliant tactical race on him.
“We were worried about the pace before the race. We didn’t want them to turn it into a canter and sprint and we just had to go around.
“The other horse (Cannon Hill) didn’t do too badly. He just couldn’t lift in the last bit and jumped a bit slow as well.”
While Cheyne was earning plenty of accolades from Shaw for his clever ride, the South African jockey modestly put it down to a good familiarity with the chestnut gelding.
“It was a daring ride and it’s paid off. I knew what I had under me and that was why I made my move early and made them chase him,” said Cheyne, who has picked up seven rides in Kuala Lumpur on Tuesday in a bid to repeat the success he enjoyed there two weeks ago (treble from four rides).
“I just gave him a breather once we took the lead. He was able to maintain the same pace all the way to the line.
“I know this horse very well as I do a lot of work on him. I sit on him every morning and that’s why they left me on him.
“The only thing with this horse is he can easily do too much. He’s just too strong for his own good at times, but Pat’s done a good job to get him to settle better.”
Greenstone has now picked up stakes earnings in excess of $140,000 for the Saratoga Stable.