3 minute read
The first association between Powerful Tree and Danny Beasley paid instant dividends when the pairing took out Friday's $95,000 Open Benchmark 97 race over 1100m on Polytrack.
With last-start winning partner Joao Moreira having gone back to Brazil for a short holiday, Beasley was quick to pounce on the phone to offer his services given the 52.5kg is not the province of many leading senior riders at Kranji.
Trainer Alvin Tan did not take long to give Beasley the nod given the Australian hoop has ridden a few winners (Vanquish, Lion City Tycoon, Catch Me Now) for him in the past.
The new horse-jockey combination clicked instantly. Beasley drove Powerful Tree quickly out of the pens to settle into the perfect trail behind Coup Align who was bidding for a treble for the Shafiq Rusof-Mark Walker team.
Coup Align, a dual New Zealand Group 3 winner who was still trying to find his mark at his third run in Singapore, was showing no signs of letting up as he thundered down towards the winning post upon straightening, but Powerful Tree was closing in threateningly on his offside.
The pair locked horns for a few strides but Beasley's mount overpowered Shafiq's at the 200m before drawing clear to score by one length. Dictator (Jose Verenzuela) charged home late to snatch third place another half-a-length away. The winning time was 1min 5.3secs.
Tan was full of praise for Powerful Tree ($10), a horse he considers as his pet horse at the stable, especially after losing him temporarily to rival trainer Tan Hor Khoon.
“He's been my money tree this horse,” said a delighted Tan. “I just love him and I was so sad when he left.
“But he's back now and I'm so glad he is able to maintain his form after undergoing operations in both knees.
“That's why I will keep him over Polytrack. It's a kinder surface for his knees.”
The St Petersburg five-year-old has now recorded all his eight wins from 14 starts on the alternative surface, earning stakes money in excess of $340,000.
Beasley certainly knew what he had underneath him as he headed out to the barrier gates even though he has never ridden the Good Good News Stable-owned gelding before.
“His record speaks for itself and I knew I was on the best horse in the field,” said the Australian jockey.
“I've never ridden him before but he felt really good on the way to the gates. I told myself I would just let him do his own thing.
“When I asked him for the supreme effort in the home straight, he dug deep and was really strong to the line.”
Beasley hit a winning double two races later when he drove the well-tried Bay Of Island ($24) home in the $55,000 Class 4 race over 1600m on Polytrack.
The Painted Black seven-year-old, whose last success came in May 2010, surged with a well-timed run to nab stablemate Double Ransom (Benny Woodworth) by half-a-length for a Stephen Gray quinella.
