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Young can Dream of loftier targets for smart 4YO

3 minute read

My Dreamliner further cemented his reputation as a Polytrack specialist with another win on the alternative surface on Saturday, but the greater merit to that sixth success lay more in its achievement in sturdier company.

MY DREAMLINER winning the WAR AFFAIR 2015 STAKES KRANJI STAKES A
MY DREAMLINER winning the WAR AFFAIR 2015 STAKES KRANJI STAKES A Picture: Singapore Turf Club

With the last win having come at Class 3 level (a 1000m speed dash on February 9), Tang Weng Fei's exciting sprinter was certainly being thrown in at the deep end in the $100,000 War Affair 2015 Stakes, a Kranji Stakes A race over 1100m.

He was, however, tackling a mixed bunch, made up of top guns like the resuming Zac Kasa and Skywalk as well as up-and-comers like himself, namely Excelling and Karisto.

But thanks largely to a light handicap of 52kgs on his back and a smart positive ride from jockey Benny Woodworth, the Dream Ahead four-year-old came out tops.

Favourite ($14) Excelling (Simon Kok Wei Hoong) bounced out the quickest from his outside gate, but Woodworth's plan to park My Dreamliner ($22) in his slipstream paid handsome dividends.

Excelling held his ground for a few strides, but probably worn out by his early efforts, shortened up. My Dreamliner punched to the front with a sustained sprint to the line, but had company in the two top-raters Skywalk (Vlad Duric) and Zac Kasa (Michael Rodd).

The fighting trio charged to the line with My Dreamliner scoring by a neck from Zac Kasa with Skywalk third another neck away. The winning time was 1min 5.38secs for the 1100m on the Polytrack.

Winning trainer Young Keah Yong needed such a performance to entertain more ambitious designs for the horse who is arguably the best he's had since he began training in 2017.

"I didn't tell Benny how to ride him today, just left it to him. By nature, he's a horse who goes up on the speed and I only told him to let him roll on," said the Singaporean trainer who was at a race-to-race double after Ferocious ($61) got up in the $30,000 Well Done 2016 Stakes, a Class 5 Division 2 race over 1200m.

"The pace suited him and he settled pretty well behind the leader. This horse has really improved, he beat quite a handy field today, and he showed he can settle a lot better as well.

"That means we can look at longer distances for him now, and maybe on turf as well. If he is to go towards bigger and better races like the Lion City Cup, he will have to do that."

The Group 1 Lion City Cup (1200m) is the country's premier sprint, but is a turf contest scheduled on May 23.

Woodworth might have been at his first winning combo with My Dreamliner, but the Malaysian jockey knows him well. He was the first jockey to team up with My Dreamliner at his early prep, including trials and gallops, but for some reason, had ridden him only once for a fourth place, incidentally at his only previous stab at grass.

"The plan was to settle in second or third as I knew Simon's horse is faster," said Woodworth.

"But I forced him (My Dreamliner) to keep up with the pace. No choice, as this was a tougher race and I didn't want him to be too far behind.

"That was probably why he weakened a little in the end."

With such a handy record of six wins and one second in nine starts, My Dreamliner has now taken his stakes earnings around the quarter million mark for Tang.

On his part, Rodd drew a lot of positives from Zac Kasa's effort given he had not raced for six months.

"We've had to work him out, but that will bring his confidence back. It was a great run," said the Australian jockey.


Singapore Turf Club

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