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Runaway winner Andado seals perfect score for KS Tan (updated)

3 minute read

Malaysian trainer Tan Kah Soon enjoyed a perfect night at the office when he bagged a double from as many runners on Friday.

Andado winning the CLASS 3
Andado winning the CLASS 3 Picture: Singapore Turf Club

After Dusseldorf (see earlier report) set Tan off on the right note in Race 3, Andado delivered the 100% record four races later in the $80,000 Class 3 race over 1400m.

The winning register could not have been more contrasting between Tan’s victorious duo. While Dusseldorf came from off the pace to sail home on the outside, Andado (Olivier Placais) led from the get-go, opened up to a massive break down the back, which proved to be an unassailable lead after he was never rejoined by his 11 rivals.

While his previous Kranji record of 4-0-0-0 would not have sparked a mad rush to the betting window, the Red Dazzler six-year-old was no slouch in New Zealand where he registered three wins (1200m to 1300m) and three placings in eight starts.

At his last run, he was actually tested at Group 3 level in the Moonbeam Vase (1600m). Even if he was out of his depth, he did show some cheek for Alysha Collett when he again towed the field through fairly decent splits at the head of affairs before vanishing out of the race.

With some specking to start at $54 on Friday night, there was some confidence he could be competitive back in easier grade, but that impression he might have gone too quick resurfaced when he gave his rivals the slip at the 800m, scooting off by almost 10 lengths coming down the last bend.

But it’s the chasing pack which might have actually been caught napping. When he swung for home, he still held a comfortable buffer of six lengths and when Placais went for the shillelagh at the 300m, they would have needed to sprout wings to reel the fugitive in.

Andado’s residual energy did taper off late, but favourite Splinter (Michael Rodd) could only run him down to three-and-a-half lengths in second place, a short head from Astrojet (Glen Boss) in third place. The winning time was 1min 22.92secs for the 1400m on the Short Course.

“He trialled well last week. I told Olivier if nobody wants to go in front, just ride him the same way as last time,” said the Godolphin-trained Tan who was not at his first career double, the first coming at only his third month of training last year, with one of them his first Group success with Clarton Super in the Group 2 EW Barker Trophy (other winner was Golden Mile).

“The horse is a good frontrunner and he just kept going.”

Placais actually thought the engine might come to a spluttering end when Andado got a little above himself midrace.

“In the parade ring, Kah Soon told me to ride him the same way as last time,” said Placais, who was also bringing up a brace having scored one race earlier on Tesoro Privado.

“He’s only a small horse, but he’s got a long action and I just took him on the bit. I didn’t realise he had opened up by such a big margin down the back.

“But I got a bit scared at the 800m when he started to overrace a little. He was going a touch quicker than I would have liked and I thought that could spell the end for him.

“But luckily when I got him to sprint, he responded very well. I told myself they would have to be very strong to catch me.”

With that first Singapore win, Andado takes his stakes earnings to the $45,000 mark for the Ascot Stable, already exceeding the NZ$34,060 he made from his three wins in New Zealand.

Additional reporting: Incidentally, Andado has a half-brother by Spirit Of Boom owned by Kranji trainer Shane Baertschiger who is going under the hammer at the Inglis 2018 Ready 2 Race Sale in Sydney on Monday.

Being put up for sale as Lot 164, the colt out of Anabaa mare Stylized was bought as a yearling by Baertschiger.

“He’s a nice colt by Spirit Of Boom and who’s a half-brother to last night’s (Friday) impressive winner Andado,” said the Australian handler.

“Those Spirit Of Boom’s are flying at the moment. Just 10 minutes ago, one of his two-year-old fillies, Champagne Boom, walked in by three lengths in the first race at Caulfield, the Inglis Debutant Stakes over 1000m.”


Spirit Of Boom (x Sequalo) was a Brisbane champion sprinter who won two Group 1 races when ridden by current Kranji jockey Michael Rodd, the Doomben 10,000 (1350m) and the William Reid Stakes (1200m) in 2014.

In the Doomben 10,000, he even beat his older half-brother and stablemate Temple Of Doom into second place, both trained by Tony Gollan.

Now standing at Eureka Stud in Queensland, Spirit Of Boom was the leading First Season sire by 2yo Winners in the 2017-18 season, producing 19 individual winners, including five stakes winners to-date, a record not bettered by any first season sire since champion sire Exceed And Excel in 2008.


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