Easy as One, Two, Three

Te Akau Singapore trainer Donna Logan kept a great stretch going with three wins on Saturday at Kranji racecourse in Singapore.

It was the third time Logan has bagged three wins, among 19 victories in eight weeks.

She nailed the opening double when Elliot Ness (4 g Written Tycoon - Walk With Attitude, by Hussonet) and Trident (3 g Deep Field - Miss Fi, by Makfi) won races one and two, respectively, and Eagle Eye (7 g Pure Prize - Miss Tessi, by Orpen) scored later on the programme - each ridden by stable apprentice Fadzli Yusoff (a3).

Holding the poly-track record for 1100 metres, Elliot Ness was rated a top three chance by Logan after drawing handily in barrier four.

Absorbing pressure outside the leader, Elliot Ness displayed great heart when stretching clear for Fortuna Racing (Mgr: John Galvin) in the $30,000 Class 5 1100 metres.

He had simply trotted up in his course/distance Maiden victory last year and again won in a manner suggesting further success.

“He copped a pretty bad virus last season and he's just starting to turn and come back,” Logan said. “His coat has got a lot more depth to it in its colouring and becoming that deep liver chestnut again.

“I said to Yusoff that he didn't have to lead, as we thought they would go quite hard. From barrier four, we just wanted him to get into a nice rhythm and wait because he hasn't got a long sprint.

“He held him up and I thought if he could do that he would really fly over the last 200m, and he did.

“He'll go up to Class 4 which is more difficult, but the way he won I would imagine he could step up again.”

Newcomer Trident, previously at the Te Akau stables in Matamata, followed a very good debut second behind stable-mate Charminton (Charm Spirit).

“He had improved for the run, looked the likely favourite and he certainly rated a top three chance,” Logan said.

“He'd worked well, has got ability, and he's a strongly put together horse. I thought he'd be hard to beat. It was pretty encouraging.  He's settled in really well in Singapore, which is a great help. He's a lovely bodied horse with a good physique.

“It was a great start to the day, winning the first two races, and it takes Fortuna close to being leading owners this season.”

Although awkwardly drawn in barrier nine, Yusoff rallied Trident from the gates to slot in fourth. He stalked the leaders in a trailing position turning for home and kept lifting to score with authority in the $75,000 Restricted Maiden 1400 metres on turf.

Te Akau principal David Ellis CNZM purchased Trident for $70,000 at the 2020 Karaka Book 1 Sale, from the draft of Blandford Lodge, for Fortuna Racing.

Ellis considered him a “ripper, with good attitude and a horse that moves well”. The first three dams on his page all won as two-year-olds: out of mares by Makfi, Mossman, Danehill, respectively.

His sire, Deep Field was a highly regarded Group 2 winner in Australia, by the ill-fated emerging stallion and sire of sires Northern Meteor (Encosta de Lago), while beautifully bred dam-sire Makfi (Dubawi) left NZ Horse of the Year Bonneval and New Zealand Filly of the Year Sofia Rosa.

Trident, then named Polaris, debuted last October with a really good effort for fourth at Taupo, repeated with a solid third at Matamata,was fourth in November at Te Aroha, and transferred following a spell at Te Akau Stud.

Recording his fifth win in Singapore, and increasing prize money to NZ$315,000, Argentinean bred Eagle Eye brought good distance stats to the $50,000 Class 4 1400 metres on turf.

Coming from seventh at the 600m, Eagle Eye let down on the outside of runners with a strong finish in the straight to win drawing clear by half a length.

“He's been ultra consistent and it was a nice win,” Logan said. “He's an older horse now but it looked a good race for him: right track, right distance, which definitely helps.”

Second on the premiership table and four behind leader Tim Fitzsimmons, Logan, who has trained since 2018 in Singapore, took up the role for Te Akau at the start of the season (1 January) when Mark Walker - Champion Trainer four times in Singapore - returned home to train at the Te Akau stables in Matamata.

“We're trying very hard, the team is turning really nicely and I couldn't be happier,” said Logan, when appraising the horses in her care.

“It's very encouraging how they are looking and working and I think the team is in really strong fettle at the moment.

“We like Charminton again this week in a Novice. These $75,000 races that he is running in and winning early in his career are really good, and horses like Trident and Flashfast are winning them too.

“Mark (Walker) bought Flashfast in Australia, and he's got through to contesting a Group Two race at his fifth start.”