Mamma Mia!

Yes indeed - as the famous ABBA song goes -

Mamma Mia, here I go again
My, my how can I resist you?

Mia was in the money yet again on Sunday night at Kranji.  This recent addition to the Te Akau Singapore stable is an exciting young horse.

It was a huge night of international racing on Sunday and Te Akau Singapore trainer Mark Walker had the 3YO Kiwi bred ready to fire for his first assignment under his new trainer's guidance.

By Castledale from Spontaneous Miss, Mia transferred to Te Akau Racing Singapore in March and has always looked to be a rising star from the time he first arrived in Singapore.

Before landing in Singapore, Mia had won a barrier trial over 650m at Cambridge in New Zealand before heading to the stables of Laurie Laxon, where almost a year to the day later he was successful in a 1000m barrier trial at Kranji on December 10.

On debut in January this year (main picture), Mia lived right up to his early trial form with an all-the-way victory in the $65,000 Restricted Maiden over 1100m on the polytrack.  Sent out favourite and ridden by Corey Brown (who has remained associated with him since), Mia scored by a length over Laser Storm with Golden Brilliant a length-and-a-quarter away third.  Jumping smartly from an inside draw, Mia initially sat in second place before booting up on the inside to assume control before the hometurn.

Challenges were quickly issued and the odds-on favourite looked to be in a shade of bother but the gelding lengthened his stride in the shape of a smart horse, opening up a winning break that he was able to hold all the way to the line.

After that debut performance he finished fourth when striking traffic at Kranji on 7 February but put that behind him with a dominant two length win on 2 March over 1400m beating a horse in our stable who we really rate - Rise 'n' Shine who on Sunday was a brave fourth in the $500,000 Group 1 Singapore Guineas.

Mia's winning ways were set to continue when he then blitzed a capacity field for Mark Walker on 20 April and of course he did so again on Sunday in the $60,000 Class 4 over 1200m on the turf.

Mia has now had five starts for four wins and that fourth placing with his stakes passing $100,000 after Sunday's victory.  He was bought by Michael Kneebone of New Zealand Bloodstock for Lim Siang Huat, a new owner to Singapore racing.

“He is such a professional this horse," said trainer Mark Walker. “With each race and more experience under his belt he just keeps improving and really he has it all ahead of him, I am delighted to have him to train."

Mia became Mark Walker's 21st winner for the new season - placing him in sixth on the very competitive Trainers' Premiership.  Mark has also recorded 26 second and 24 third placings.

As Corey Brown - who again rode him on Sunday - remarked after his debut in January -

“I do think there is a lot of upside to come after this run with him. He was having a good look around and I do think we will see a lot more of him in the future.”

How right he was!