Singapore Success

After just missing out by a whisker at his last run, Golden Sand Steed was rewarded for his sheer consistency with a hard-fought win in the $75,000 Kranji Stakes C race over 1100m on Polytrack on Sunday.

The Pins three-year-old was notching up his fourth success from only 12 starts after coming from New Zealand as an unraced two-year-old last year. Raced by the ST Resources Stable, Golden Sand Steed only finished out of the placings twice, with his worst performance coming in the Group 3 Magic Millions Juvenile Championship (1200m) when finishing down the course a long way from the winner Rising Empire.

But the Mark Walker-trained gelding has gone by leaps and bounds since, and his latest win ahead of handy Class 3-4 gallopers such as Terminator and Angry Cat, suggests there is still scope for improvement.

Walker, who consolidates his top spot in the Singapore trainer's premiership with that 38th win, five clear of Michael Freedman, said Golden Sand Steed already had the makings of a good horse from his prolific lineage.

“He's from a top-class sire in Pins and anything that comes from the Waikato Stud has to give you a headstart,” said the Kiwi conditioner.

“David Ellis (Te Akau Racing principal) buys and breeds really good horses and the results are showing on the track.

“Our job is simple really - just put a saddle on them and make sure they stay sound and healthy.

“He (Golden Sand Steed) was second-up from a break today and the freshness was probably gone, but he's a good consistent sort who just keeps improving all the time.

“He missed out very narrowly (to Petrenui) at his last run. There was nothing in it, but anyway, we got it today.”

Backed down to $8 favouritism, Golden Sand Steed settled centrefield behind the pace set by Andiko (Saifudin Ismail) before taking closer order from the 600m. Once he found the gap at the top of the straight, Golden Sand Steed accelerated kindly to hit the front, but was inclined to hang out under pressure, allowing Andiko to claw his way back while Terminator (Matthew Kellady) was also storming home strongly.

But Munro had saved enough in the petrol tank to give the gallant galloper that last extra nudge on the line for a half-a-length victory from Andiko who touched out the back-in-form Terminator for the runner-up spot by a nose. The winning time was 1min 5.85secs.

The win also provided Munro with a riding double as he had scored earlier aboard Bendicion, another favourite, in Race 4.

Note - Golden Sand Steed, by Pins from Ambitious, was purchased by David Ellis from the draft of Waikato Stud at the Karaka Premier Sale for $65,000.  He has raced 12 times for four wins, four second, two third and one fourth placings with stakes' earnings close to $200,000.