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Promising galloper Mr Hanks made quick amends from his shock defeat in the Aushorse Golden Horseshoe with a narrow win in the $200,000 Group 3 Juvenile Championship (1400m) on Sunday.
The Oscar Racing Stable-owned two-year-old – who turns three on Tuesday (August 1) - was beaten by the draw (13) in the first of Singapore’s only two juvenile features when sent out as the $12 favourite in the Group 2 Aushorse Golden Horseshoe (1200m) on July 7.
Unable to tuck in from his horror gate, Mr Hanks came a cropper to finish tenth, more than seven lengths off the winner Be Bee.
Second-year trainer James Peters, however, quickly regrouped and must be commended for producing the son of Showcasing to take out the second two-year-old event, even if he had to scrape home by only a head from the fast-finishing Iffragal.
In his post-Aushorse Golden Horseshoe debrief, Peters was adamant that was not the real Mr Hanks that day, and reassured fans better things would be in store in three weeks’ time. He did not put Mr Hanks through any rigorous training, just a few easy blowouts, but did bring about one significant change on Sunday – blinkers, which he notably donned at his seventh place to Melody Belle in this year’s Karaka Million (1200m) in New Zealand back in January.
And when luck was on their side at the barriers (three) this time, Peters knew the chances of a turnaround had multiplied manifold. Indeed, Mr Hanks ($18) slotted straight into the box-seat upon dispatch before taking it up the home straight as unexpected frontrunner and $585 rank-outsider Make U Famous (Moon Se Young) capitulated.
The shades of his debut win on June 11 when he bounded away to an impressive victory emerged at the 400m, but the Long Course felt like it would never end this time.
At first, Mr Hanks looked like he was ready to explode at any second, but as he rolled in to go hard up against the rails, he started to whack away on the one spot instead.
Right behind, longshot ($84) Iffragal was at that juncture safely held, but with Mr Hanks finding the 1400m trip a little outside his comfort zone, the Ricardo Le Grange-trained Iffraaj filly suddenly smelled blood and sprouted wings under jockey Oscar Chavez’s efforts.
In a nail-biting drive to the wire, the pair finished locked together, but Singapore Turf Club race caller Nicholas Child, who was commentating his first Singapore Group race stuck his neck out by going with Mr Hanks to have held on, and the photo print proved him right – a head separated the two.
The well-backed Ferocious (Shafiq Rizuan), who brought up the rear before commencing a searching run through the packed field from the 500m, loomed as a huge menace, but could only complete the tierce another 1 ¾ lengths away.
Be Bee (John Powell) did not enjoy a troublefree run like in the Aushorse Golden Horseshoe, originally tagging onto Mr Hanks before angling out for a run three wide and racing tight for room as the field approached the home turn. That was when it turned more into a bit of dodgem cars when Be Bee bumped out into Charger (Craig Grylls), who was carried wider off the track, with neither able to bring their A-game where it mattered afterwards.
Be Bee weakened to wind up fourth another gap of close to four lengths off Ferocious while Charger beat two home. The winning time was 1min 23.88secs for the 1400m on the Long Course.
Peters was a happy man at the winner’s circle. After a smashing first season last year when he bagged 35 winners, including one at Group 2 and Group 3 level apiece, his sophomore year had been noticeably quieter, but that big win has come at the right time to lift his spirits.
The Englishman did get the 2017 season off to a decent start but an injury-plagued stable has since put a few spokes in the wheel.
“This horse tries very hard and I think we saw the real Mr Hanks today. The good barrier helped a lot, too,” said Peters.
“I thought there would be more pace from out wide, but he found himself behind a surprising leader (Make U Famous) in a beautiful spot.
“He was behind a few horses and Vlad did not panic, and he was very gutsy to the line. It’s great to win a feature race for a new owner, CK (Chian Kin) Phua.
“I’ve had a bit of quiet time, but it was to be expected as it’s been a tough transition. I’ve had a lot of bad injuries and a few problems with the horses, but I’m building up with a lot of new horses.”
A beaming Phua – along with his son Oscar - was leading in his second Juvenile Championship winner after Affleck in 2014.
“It’s Mike Kneebone (New Zealand Bloodstock) who bought this horse for me. He’s a very nice horse and I hope he can keep it up when he turns three,” said the Singaporean businessman.
As for Duric, Singapore’s current runaway leading jockey (56 wins versus Manoel Nunes’ 39 wins), he was surprisingly at only his second Group success for the year after taking out the Group 1 Queen Elizabeth II Cup (2000m) with Quechua in June. The Australian said he had a smooth run in transit, but only had a few shaky moments when he went for broke shortly after straightening up.
“The horse jumped well and got a good spot. When Olivier’s (Placais) horse (Whistling Win) came across, he settled nicely behind his,” said Duric.
“I had so much horse under me that I decided to pop off Oli’s heels and suddenly I was fully exposed. I was worried I was in front too soon and the swoopers would get me, but it was all good in the end.
“Credit goes to James and well done to CK for having another good horse on his hands.”
With that second win from three starts, Mr Hanks has taken his local stakes earnings around the $150,000 mark for the Oscar Racing Stable.