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Entertainer keeps the Maia show going

3 minute read

Ruan Maia cemented further his reputation as an astute Polytrack rider with yet another win notched on the alternative track on Saturday.

ENTERTAINER winning the OPEN MAIDEN
ENTERTAINER winning the OPEN MAIDEN Picture: Singapore Turf Club

From 67 winners in 365 rides at Kranji thus far, 40 of them have occurred on Polytrack, including all three Legs of his riding treble at the opening day on January 3.

Once the Brazilian sent the well-backed Entertainer straight to the lead in Saturday's $20,000 Open Maiden race over 1100m, it was as good as a one-way ticket for the Zoustar four-year-old.

Horses just tend to find another couple of lengths for Maia on the Polytrack, and Entertainer  was no different when he was turned out loose inside the last 300m.

So authoritative was the $11 favourite's acceleration that his backers could already queue up at the window 100m out.

The Mark Walker-trained gelding went on to open his account by 1 ¾ lengths from longshot Eight Ball (Matthew Kellady) with Don't Tell Tilly (Tengku Rehaizat) third another half-length away. The winning time was 1min 4.96secs for the 1100m on the all-weather.

"I rode this horse in a Restricted Maiden race last time, and I know him quite well," said Maia.

"At his last start, he ran in a Class 4 race and showed good form. Today I had good control of the race in front and he won a very nice race."

An A$150,000 purchase as a yearling, Entertainer raced four times in Australia for one second, and has now brought up his first win for the Fortuna NZ Racing Stable at his fifth Kranji start.

Runner-up to Vlad Duric on the jockey's premiership at his first Singapore season last year, Maia has already given himself every chance of exacting revenge on the Australian with a fourth winner.

It's French jockey Louis-Philippe Beuzelin who currently holds the second spot two winners behind while Duric is sitting out his second and last 2021 meeting through a careless riding suspension.


Singapore Turf Club

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