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A newcomer will make his racing debut carrying the same racing silks – and hopefully the same genes - as his famous father on Friday.
Destiny Knight is by Singapore Gold Cup winner Recast, but is actually not the first progeny of the son of Thunder Gulch to have raced at Kranji, that honour going to full sister Little Belle, one year his senior.
The then three-year-old filly made her racing debut for Laurie Laxon in a Restricted Maiden race over 1400m at Kranji last May, finishing ninth to Dr N Wing Fighters. She unfortunately did a tendon and has since been spelling in Malaysia with Penang trainer Sharee Hamilton.
Malaysian owner Patrick Lau, who also raced Recast, will be hoping for better results with the younger sibling, who is prepared by trainer Stephen Gray and will take on the likes of Nova Legend, Amazing Man, Silk Route and trial winner Alibi in Friday’s $75,000 Restricted Maiden race over 1200m.
Destiny Knight is unfortunately the second and last Recast that the Sarawak property businessman will get the chance to race. The liver chestnut died from a snake bite a few years ago while standing in Victoria, Australia.
“Recast was the best horse I ever had. Because of some flight issues, he could not leave for Australia straightaway after he was retired in 2009,” said Lau whose other high-profile horse was 2004 Singapore Horse of the Year Mayo’s Music.
“Gary Mudgway, a bloodstock agent in Australia, stood him as a stallion for me. He unfortunately had only a couple of seasons as he died from a snake bite in a paddock accident.
“I’m glad I was able to send my mare Prizegiving twice to him and it will be exciting to see how Destiny Knight goes on Friday. Little Belle should be coming back to Singapore soon and she will be going to Steve as well.”
Gray, who prepared the handy Destiny Prized for Lau in the past, however, said Destiny Knight might not quite be a chip off the old block yet. The three-year-old bay has drawn seven and will be ridden by Gray’s apprentice jockey Amirul Ismadi.
“He trialled in Australia for Brett Scott and had three trials here,” said the Kiwi handler.
“He didn’t show much speed and I think he’s looking for more ground. He’s probably a staying type like his father but he had to start off somewhere.
“At this stage, he’s not quite a Recast, other than he is quite light like his dad. Patrick has a broodmare (Prizegiving) and it’s great she was able to produce two by Recast.
“She is actually the dam of Master King (by Due Sasso) who was trained by Laurie Laxon and won a Leg of the 2YO series (Singapore Golden Horseshoe series in 2012). Patrick owned Master King too.”
Interestingly, Recast was a ridgling or rig when he raced at Kranji, the pinnacle of his six-year-long career being no doubt the 2007 Group 1 Singapore Gold Cup (2200m) under big-race jockey Opie Bosson to hand Laxon the second of his two Gold Cup trophies (he first won in 2004 with Raul).
Recast went on to add the Group 3 Committee’s Prize (1600m) in record time three weeks later, this time ridden by Robbie Fradd.
Seven other jockeys got on him next but it was the South African jockey who was able to get one last win (11th) out of him when they scored in a Kranji Stakes A race over 2000m on May 31, 2009. Recast raced four more times without success before he was retired in July 2009, the stakes winner of close to $2.4 million.
While the Gold Cup was his biggest win, Recast, who was raced by Australian leviathan owner Lloyd Williams for whom he won two races in Victoria before he was brought to Singapore by Lau, earned a slew of other big race wins when he was first under the care of trainer John Meagher, namely the Kranji Mile, EW Barker Trophy, the first leg of the Singapore Three-Year-Old Challenge and the Singapore Guineas (old version).
Such a glittering career on the track was not quite matched by the one at stud, though. None of his crops who have raced in Australia have shown anything of note up to now.
Lau was once a major force in the owner’s ranks at Kranji in the mid-2000s, racing several horses in his orange and blue colours under the banner of a few stable names such as Kings, Destiny and Royal Stables, but has since scaled down significantly and is today left with only Little Belle and Destiny Knight.
