Hey Hey It's Haytham

Mark Walker wrapped up the final two races on Friday night at Kranji. The win by Viviano (Keeper), followed by that of Haytham (4 g Saperavi - A La Votre, by Volksraad) in the $45,000 Class 4 1000 metres on the poly track.

Trailing from barrier two, Haytham received a rails run on straightening for jockey Benny Woodworth and he capitalized on the saloon passage to win by two lengths.

Bred by A & L Browne Bloodstock & Karyn Fenton Ellis MNZM, Steve Turner, Aaron Jones and Des Radford, Haytham set the track alight as a two-year-old when winning his only trial by six and a half lengths at Matamata, and last October provided Te Akau apprentice Hanafi Noorman with his first win in Singapore.

“Everything panned out,” said Walker, of the third win by Haytham. “It was the non-premier division and there quite a drop in class between premier and non-premier.”

Among initiatives, a change in the class and rating system was introduced by the Singapore Turf Club at the start of the season on 1 January this year.

“It's had a big influence,” Walker said. “A lot of our horses at the time were rated up to their very best at the end of last season (December) and then they got a further five points [with the change]. We have moved a lot of horses that were no longer competitive to Malaysia but the change has helped new trainers that arrived because their horses missed out on the extra five points.

“We've been having quite a run of seconds, but sooner or later they turn into winners. We've got a lot of nice, new, horses to start racing in June and I'd predicted we wouldn't hit our straps until the end of April, early May."

Walker obviously keeps a close on the home front (New Zealand) and been impressed by the form of all concerned.

“Shafiq has had a major impact and his strike rate is incredible,” said Walker, of the twice Champion Apprentice in Singapore. “People don't realise how competitive it is here. There are six or seven world-class riders here and if you're not getting the first pick from the stable then you've got to be good to win.

“The horses are in grand form, quite incredible, and it's a credit to the team.”

Te Akau principal David Ellis purchased the dam of Haytham, A La Votre, as a yearling for $42,500 at the 2008 New Zealand Bloodstock Select Sale, from the draft of Trelawney Stud, and after showing talent to win three races up to a mile she has already produced two winners of five races, still relatively early in her breeding career.