3 minute read
Trainer Shane Baertschiger’s newcomer Wassergeist made winning look easy at his Kranji debut on Friday night.
Ridden by John Powell, the Fastnet Rock four-year-old was always travelling like a winner after he settled off race-leader Wonderful Knight (Yusoff Fadzli).
Once Powell cut the ribbons at the top of the straight, Wassergeist ($11 favourite), whom Baertschiger owns in partnership with trainer Trent Busuttin (son of ex-Kranji trainer Paddy Busuttin), stuck to his task manfully to go and beat Dusseldorf (Michael Rodd) by 1 ½ lengths.
Wonderful Knight did his best to hang on for third place another 1 ¼ lengths away. The winning time was 1min 9.8secs.
Wassergeist, which means water sprite in German, was once earmarked for bigger and better things following his maiden win in a 1400m race at Sandown in September 2017.
The Group 1 Caulfield Guineas was in the mix, but he eventually ran in the Group 1 Coolmore Stud Stakes (1200m), via the Group 2 Stutt Stakes (1600m) at Moonee Valley, but the results fell below expectations.
Unfortunately, he was then beset by fetlock issues, even if he did win one more race over 1200m at Pakenham in six more starts before Baertschiger decided to bring him to Singapore.
"He broke down twice. He had a chipped fetlock, came back and then he had the same fetlock problem," said the Australian trainer who was bringing up a four-in-a-row after he swept the previous three races with three two-year-olds (see previous report).
"The training bills were getting high, and that's when I decided to bring him here. I own him with Trent and he's been working well and we expected him to run well tonight."
Powell, who earlier took out the IRT Juvenile Stakes, the third Leg of the Singapore Golden Horseshoe series on No Regrets for Baertschiger, said on Wassergeist's work at home, he would have been disappointed if he didn't win first-up.
"He's done all right in trackwork and I expected him to run very well," said the Australian hoop.
"We probably raced a bit closer than we would have liked, but because the front horse (Wonderful Knight) had a soft lead, I didn't want him to be too far ahead.
"I watched his races in Melbourne and he was a bit of a one-batter when close to the lead. He's better off down the field and he'll then flash home.
"I think he can run further than the 1200m."
