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After Gilt Complex’s last win came over 2200m last November, a drop back to 1400m looked on the sharp side, but the New Zealand-bred showed his versatility with a brilliant win in the $80,000 Class 3 race on Sunday.
The Gold Centre five-year-old was even considered a Singapore Gold Cup hopeful last year, but unfortunately missed the cut.
Trainer Cliff Brown has since given the Graham Mackie-owned galloper a break only to bring him back for that race, which he eventually claimed by storming right on the outside under new partner Michael Rodd to defeat the better-fancied Skywalk (Vlad Duric) by three-quarter length at lukewarm odds of $69.
Gilt Complex’s stablemate Magstock (Glen Boss) powered home late to grab third place another three-quarter length away. The winning time was 1min 21.53secs for the 1400m on the Short Course.
The win incidentally brought up Brown’s 400th winner at Kranji since he relocated from Narbethong, Victoria in 2007.
“He’s a lovely horse (Gilt Complex). We put him away after his last run and he has come back stronger,” said Brown.
“I haven’t planned anything for him yet, but he’ll win a good race one day.”
Rodd said the best way to approach the race was to treat it like it was over a mile.
“I made it more of a mile race and it’s paid off,” said the Australian jockey.
“It was a smart field, but he’s also been racing against better horses before. He’s a quality horse.
“I thought the weight difference between him and Skywalk (2.5kgs) would make it tough for us, but he dug deep and went past Skywalk quite well.”
Gilt Complex now boasts a handy record of five wins and five placings from 17 starts for stakes earnings that have now shot past the $270,000 mark for Mackie.
The major disappointment of the race was even-money favourite Absolute Miracle who was coming off the back of an impressive 4 ¼-length win at his last run in a BM67 race over 1400m and was bidding for a third win in a row, but he ran sixth, around six lengths off the winner.
Regular partner Danny Beasley said he knew he was on a beaten horse from the 600m mark.
“He was the first horse beaten,” he said grimly.
“I was probably two lengths closer than I wanted today, and when I went for him at the 600m, there was no response.
“I don’t really know what it is. Maybe two weeks between runs was too close, I’ll have to check his records in Australia.
“But I do know he came from well back in Australia. He’s probably better off ridden that way, though I know he won from a handy spot at his first win here but he was not up against much then.
“We’ll live to fight another day.”