Te Akau Singapore - Another Weekend, Another Double

Second on the premiership table last season in Singapore, Te Akau Singapore trainer Donna Logan emulated her feat a week earlier with another double on Saturday at Kranji Racecourse.

Training since 2018 in Singapore, Logan took over from Mark Walker on 1 January 2022 and finished the season (calendar year) in second place with 59 wins - six off the winner.

After winning on 28 January with Aftermath (Spirit of Boom) and Singapore debutante Knippenberg (I Am Invincible), Logan added wins by Our Secret Weapon (5 g Outreach - Poppy's Pond, by Elvstroem) and Axel (7 g Darci Brahma - Josephines Fortune, by Encosta de Lago), both ridden by stable apprentice Fadzli Yusoff (a2).

Purchased by David Ellis CNZM for $60,000 at the 2019 New Zealand Bloodstock Ready to Run Sale, specifically to race in Singapore, Our Secret Weapon utilized barrier four to track three leaders in fourth, was off the back of the leader turning in and had it parcelled up inside the 200m.  

He clocked 59.1 in the $30,000 Class 5 1000 metres on the poly-track, scoring by two and a half lengths and paid $6.80 & $2.40 on the NZ TAB tote. 

His three wins have helped attribute to nearly $100,000 in prize money, with the prospect of more still to come.

“He was very good, Our Secret Weapon, to take up a forward position and he really found the line,” Logan said.

“He goes really well fresh and we can read into that to space his races. He looks really good in the coat now and good to get him back in the winner's circle.”

Another Ready to Run Sale purchase by Ellis, for $55,000, Axel took earnings to $450,000 after recording his eighth victory in the $50,000 Class 4 1400 metres on turf. 

Logan expected Axel to get back in running, which he did, but off a three wide trip was up to the task and sustained a huge finish to score.

On footing rated Good, Axel ran 1400 metres in a polished 1:22.1 and paid handsomely ($18.40 & $5.60) on the NZ TAB tote.

“As soon as the skies opened up like they did, I knew this horse was an even better chance than I rated him before the rain,” Logan said.

“We had some really good comments come in from our owners in New Zealand, so it's fantastic to get that feedback and obviously they're tuned in. They love it and it's a delight to serve them well up here and know that they're getting a hell of a kick out of it.

“We've had nearly all our horses place in the first five for the past two weekends and that's good positivity for me and everyone at the stables.”