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Japanese mare Sun Pittsburgh’s second-up win for trainer Hideyuki Takaoka and jockey Olivier Placais more than made up for the bitter disappointment of losing the previous race by an eyelash on Sunday.
In that event, the $45,000 Class 4 Non Premier race over 1200m, Placais had Takaoka’s Optimum Star grinding his way towards the line in workmanlike fashion, only to be nabbed by $124 smokie Rich Fortune (Amirul Ismadi) by the barest of margins right at the last hop.
Losing in a photo finish in such a manner can certainly rankle, more so when Placais said he nearly came to grief during the race.
But the Frenchman showed his “bounce-back ability” by quickly moving on in search of that next win - which he actually found in the very next race, the $20,000 Open Maiden race over 1700m on Polytrack, incidentally on another one of Takaoka’s for good measure.
The Samurai Stable-owned Sun Pittsburgh ($29) was indeed never in doubt after she found herself in acres of galloping room along the rails halfway up the straight.
Einstein’s Cross (Nooresh Juglall) did close in but Placais and Takaoka needed no judge to decide on their fate this time. The four-year-old mare by Storming Home hit the line one length clear of Einstein’s Cross with Ace Harbour (Barend Vorster) third another 1 ¼ lengths away.
The winning time was 1min 49.67secs for the 1700m journey on the Polytrack.
“I’m so glad I got one back for Takaoka straight away. It was very tightly-bunched coming down the last bend (with Optimum Star), and for a while I was worried I might go down,” said Placais who has had no luck in that department this year, even being sidelined through a chest injury for three weeks after falling off Ottawa back in January.
“Thank goodness for Michael Rodd, who is an experienced jockey and who was the one who helped relieve the pressure a little. I won’t say I could have won without that, but if I could have moved earlier, the nose could have gone my way.
“Anyway, the past is the past, and luckily, Sun Pittsburgh came at the right time to save my day.”
Takaoka actually revealed if it wasn’t not for Placais’ feedback, the mare who ran unplaced at her Kranji debut in a 1400m race on March 13, would not have been in that race on Sunday.
“I wanted to run her in a 1400m race last week, but Olivier told me she would be better off in this race as she ran over 1800m and 2000m in Japan and was placed once over 1800m,” said the Japanese handler who has noticeably struck a budding association with Placais this year, combining for one win thus far (Istana).
“I was disappointed we lost by a whisker earlier, but I will forgive Olivier now (laughs).”
Placais said Sun Pittsburgh was a one-batter he felt would have a better shot at pinching a race if set over more ground.
“She ran well on debut even if she got checked. I told Takaoka not to run in that 1400m race last week and wait for another week for today’s race instead,” he said.
“I know it’s only a $20,000 race but the 1700m is definitely better for her as she does not have a great change of gears, and she also ran in long races in Japan, anyway.”
Takaoka franked his brilliant form when he saddled a training double with Matsuribayashi (Alan Munro, $22) two races later in the $20,000 Class 5 race over 1700m.