3 minute read

A well-crafted strategy from leading trainer Mark Walker saw Entertainer upstage some of the best sprinters at a higher echelon with a hard-fought win on Saturday.

The speedy Zoustar five-year-old was a little overlooked in the market at $55, no doubt largely due to his last-start weakening unplaced run in a Class 3 race over 1200m, and still showing the pluck to tackle even better horses in the day's highlight, the $85,000 Class 2 race over 1100m on the Polytrack.

Factor in the serious competition in the speed department from the likes of Celavi and Fame Star, and it would take a hardcore fan or brave man to believe in his chances.

But Walker had been working out that if his charge steered clear of any speed duel, and just clapped with the front division without busting a gut, the Fortuna NZ Racing Stable might be in for another entertaining lap for a sixth time.

"There was a lot of the speed in the race, including us. I just thought Hakim (Kamaruddin) doesn't have to lead on him," said the Kiwi master trainer.

"This horse likes to be on the outside, and Hakim gave him a gun ride. At the 100m, I thought he was beat, but he digs deep.

"When he saw the other horse, he found another gear."

Muraahib  (Simon Kok Wei Hoong), who was also in the slipstream of the leading bunch made up of Fame Star  (Jerlyn Seow Poh Hui), Entertainer with odds-on favourite Celavi (Louis-Philippe Beuzelin) in close attendance one out one back, proved to be the biggest threat to Entertainer inside the last half-furlong when he came savaging the line along the rails.

For a fleeting second, the momentum seemed to be swinging the way of the former Lee Freedman-trained three-time winner, but Entertainer  was able to scrape home by a short head to record his sixth win and take his stakes earnings closer to the $200,000 mark.

Entertainer's stablemate Sacred Gift (Iskandar Rosman) flew home for third place another length away. The winning time was 1min 4.21secs for the 1100m on the Polytrack.

"I think the 1100m is just his favourite distance. The 1200m was a bit too far last time," said Walker.

"He was also pressured by another horse (Universal Empire), which explained why he faded in the end.

"He's been a wonderful horse this season. Mentally and physically, he wasn't quite there, but John Galvin (Fortuna NZ Racing's principal) us very patient, he never puts any pressure on me and lets me do what I want.

"They have done very well today with Brutus winning earlier ($50,000 Class 4 race over 1200m), and Hadeer also ran very well (see earlier report), he just found one better (Starlight).

"The horse has just got stronger, and he's a much better horse. I'll probably spell him for next year."

Two horses who are not heading to the paddocks yet are the runner-up and his stablemate Celavi, even if better was expected from the Fighting Sun mare.

Trainer Michael Clements, however, said the fourth place just a little over a length off Entertainer was not as bad as it looked when dissected in greater detail, and the Group 3 Merlion Trophy (1200m) on November 27 was still on the agenda, and for Muraahib as well.

"Celavi didn't show that speed we know she has. We saw it already in her work and barrier trial," said Clements, who during the week did bring up those ominous signs.

"But she tracked up well and still ran well. When she's upfront, she can control and is more dominant.

"I don't think she didn't show any gate speed, it's just that the others had more pace. Fame Star for one showed a lot more pace, a lot more than her anyway.

"I think she still ran pretty good, and Muraahib also ran really great after coming from a break. He will come on with that run.

"It was a big run considering the winner gave him some weight (three kilos). They are both on course for the Merlion Trophy."

Clements enjoyed a good day at the office with a training double courtesy of On Line and Starlight (see previous reports), but his slim hopes of reeling in Walker at the top of the heap wore even thinner with the three-time Singapore champion trainer knocking back the same number of winners to maintain the gap at eight winners (63 versus 55).

With only four meetings left in the 2021 season, Walker is marching right into a well-earned fourth title.

As for the jockeys' premiership, the issue also looks all done and dusted, even if mathematically, the remote chances of a reversal is still within the realms of possibility. The current leader in both the senior and junior ranks, Hakim maintained the tempo with Entertainer handing him his only winner of the day to bring his score to 54 winners.

His closest rivals Danny Beasley and Marc Lerner could not put a dent into the margin after riding one winner apiece, Lim's Knight ($26 - in the $30,000 Class 5 Division 1 race over 1100m) and Al Green respectively to take their score to 45 and 42 respectively.