3 minute read
Old marvel Supernova showed he clearly had no intention of being put to pasture after he posted his 11th win as a rising 11 on Friday night.
While the 10-year-old son of Elusive City had not greeted the judge since September 2017 when he won an old Benchmark 67 race over the mile, he had not been loafing around either. Far from it, and that competitive fire in the belly certainly belied his age.
In 23 subsequent starts since that last win, Supernova has still been earning his oats with four seconds, four thirds and three fourths.
To say that he has more than paid his way would be a bit of an understatement. With that 11th hurrah in 78 starts, Supernova has brought home a bacon that has now grown to around the $680,000 mark for the Tudor Racing Lodge.
His ecstatic trainer Bruce Marsh said that Supernova was like an equine version of Benjamin Button.
“He’s a marvel. That’s really, really good,” said the Kiwi handler who had had him from Day 1.
“He was very unlucky at his last run when he got checked, but tonight, he had a great run though and Zy (Nor Azman) rode him a treat.
“At home, he’s like a two-year-old, always having a pick of grass and bucking around. He doesn’t know his age.
“We actually bought him as a two-year-old in New Zealand. He wasn’t a trial winner but I remember he won first-up at big odds of around $200 ($203 to be exact).
“He went off the boil and took a year off, but there wasn’t anything wrong with him. I think he just got too high in the ratings.”
Zyrul said for a horse who was getting long in the tooth, Supernova never ceases to amaze him with his sheer will to compete and win.
“He always gives his all even if he was unlucky when he lost. I’ve never seen a bigger-hearted 10-year-old than him, he always wants to win,” said the in-form Singaporean apprentice jockey who was at his fifth winner this term, one week after he rang up his first Kranji double with Dreamer Legend and Lonhro Gold.
“Things were a bit slow when I came back to Singapore (2017) as you have noticed. It’s different now with (riding coach) Matthew Pumpa to go through my rides.
“It makes all the difference.”
The poise and perfect reading of a race shone through in the way the New Zealand-trained rookie rated Supernova ($36).
After bouncing him out, they went searching for the lead, which they found by the first bend before handing it up when Ancient Warrior (Benny Woodworth) showed up alongside.
From that point onwards, the old stager was cuddled along by Zyrul, just waiting for the home turn to pop the question back to Ancient Warrior. Once they did, there was only one answer that would be written across Kranji – the senior citizen was about to give his younger rivals a galloping lesson.
One of the youngest, Implement (John Powell), a four-year-old Irish import came home with a late rush, but had to “respectfully” come within half-a-length of his elder. Money King (Ben Thompson), himself a bit of veteran at eight years of age, took third place another 1 ¼ lengths away. The winning time was 1min 38.43secs for the Polytrack mile.
