Sublime in Singapore

Te Akau trainer Mark Walker is at it again - doing what he does best - training winners!  He kicked started the weekend in sublime fashion claiming the first two races on the Friday night Kranji card!  His Friday success moves him to third on the Trainers' Premiership.

First up it was Von Snitzel, a $130,000 Karaka purchase by David Ellis for Fortuna Syndicators. Lisa Allpress was taking no chances with the 5YO who always looked in control of his Class 5 1400m event being prominent from the get-go.

Asserting his authority in the straight, he edged away to win by a comfortable two length margin.  It was the second win for the son of Snitzel from Lumir who has also placed seven times in Singapore for prize money of $94,005.

It was a somewhat different story but nonetheless a deserved victory in the second race as Sebrose was sent out warm favourite for the Restricted Maiden WFA 1400m.  His win with top Singapore rider Manny Nunes aboard came courtesy of the adjudication panel in the inquiry room after they agreed that he was inconvenienced in the straight in a tight fight for the finish (the main picture shows how tight the finish was - Sebrose basically obscured on the fence).

Having just his fourth Singapore start, the son of Sebring has shown plenty of promise with two runner up placings from his three starts prior to Friday night.  He was doing his best work late and in what was a dog fight to the line, he kept giving.  The fight continued in the protest room and he was declared the winner - at start number four.

Purchased by David Ellis from the Gold Coast Magic Millions Sale for $240,000 he is out of the Group 1 NZ Oaks' winner Bramble Rose.  Raced by Barry and Deirdre Neville-White, Harvey Green, Alison Rowe, Denali Thoroughbreds, GN and CM Bloodstock, Ron Vela, Shona and Barry Old, Stephen Turner, Keith Boyd, Arthur McGill, Ian and Wendy Jeffery, Jim and Win Mitchell, John and Anne McDonnell (part owners of his sire Sebring) and Boera Holdings Pty Ltd.  Well done to you all!

The horse we know as Seb has an exciting future ahead of him - he has now earned $68,107 in only four Singapore starts.

The Singapore Turf Club reported as follows:

Backers of short-priced favourite Sebrose thought they had done their dough when Higher Soul held him off by a head in Race 2 on Friday night, but in a sensational twist, they were back in the black when Stewards reversed the order after upholding Sebrose's rider's objection against the winner for interference.

Higher Soul indeed looked to have the race all sewn up after he took the ascendancy from $8 favourite Sebrose at the 300m, but instead of pulling away, the Japanese-bred filly started to roll in under pressure. In so doing, she bumped into Sebrose, on whom jockey Manoel Nunes could be seen taking corrective action.

Higher Soul, however, did not show any signs of letting up despite looking a little wobbly, but neither did Sebrose who was rallying strongly on the rails, but despite his hard graft, he fell short by a head. Given the narrow margin and degree of interference, Nunes was entitled to feel hard done by and immediately fired in a protest for interference and after a lengthy deliberation in the Stewards' room, the Brazilian jockey was vindicated.

Placed twice from three previous starts, Sebrose, a three-year-old by Sebring, had to overcome a wide gate before finding the pole position on the rails. Once he secured that spot, Nunes slammed the brakes to back off the speed to a crawl, which caused the rest of the field to bunch up from the back.

Higher Soul, who had stayed glued to Sebrose's girth from the outset, was probably the only one who could reel him in when they let down in the home straight, while the rest realistically had their job cut out coming off such a slow tempo.

The two leading protagonists swung off the corner ready to settle for a good go, but Higher Soul got the upperhand more easily than thought when he took one length on the hot favourite. But Sebrose refused to concede defeat, and in Nunes' opinion, should have turned back the tables fair and square had he not been hampered.

“The Stewards made the right decision. Alan's filly (Higher Soul) clearly took my momentum. 100%,” said Nunes.

“I fell behind by half-a-length when she bumped me. My horse fought back and lost by a head. He should have won more easily.  My horse deserved the win. I had to use him up early and he still fought very bravely and don't forget he was giving away 4.5kg to Alan's filly. That was why he took a while to make ground on her.”

Sebrose, who ran the 1400m trip (Long Course) of the $75,000 Restricted Maiden race in 1min 25.74secs, incidentally handed his trainer Mark Walker a running double as the New Zealander had saddled an earlier winner in the first race with Von Snitzel (Lisa Allpress) in the $35,000 Class 5 Division 1 race over 1400m.