Patrick Shaw saddles 400th winner in Singapore
SA-born trainer Patrick Shaw landed a career milestone when Yield Up took out the $55,000 Class 4 Div. 3 Stakes over 1200m on Sunday. Yield Up provided Shaw with his 400th winner in Singapore since setting up base here in 2001.
Shaw has been won most of the major races in Singapore and is eagerly looking to add this year’s International Group 1 KrisFlyer International Sprint over 1200m in May with his champion sprinter Rocket Man.
Yield Up, a former Argentinean galloper, is raced by Fred Crabbia and carries the same colours as his champion sprinter Rocket Man.
Ridden by another South African Barend Vorster, Yield Up showed plenty of fight before scoring a half-length victory over Zestfulgo (Joao Moreira) with Sir Denis (John Powell) a half-length away third.
Shaw said Yield Up had a history of feet problems that had caused his delay to the racetrack following his arrival in Singapore last June.
“It was a pretty courageous effort for the horse to win after a long lay-off,” said Shaw. “He’s had plenty of feet problems that have taken a long time to get right.”
Yield Up was a two time winner over 1400m in Argentina and Shaw has no doubts the gelding will get a longer trip.
Vorster said he was forced to cover ground in the run but he was strong all the way to the line. “The win was full of merit,” said Vorster. “It was a little bit rough at the beginning so I just took my time coming across.
“He travelled pretty well in the run and on that win he’s certainly going to get a bit further.”
Shaw said he had no specific plans in the immediate future with the four-year-old which is by Brancusi from the Mutakddim mare You Love Ro. “I’ll just take my time with him,” said Shaw. “We have to keep monitoring his feet but he should win again on that effort.” - Singapore Turf Club.

 

1066 Reasons To Go For 534
In California, Battle of Hastings added to his record of Graded stakes wins and places with a one-length third in the G1 Frank Kilroe Mile at Santa Anita over the weekend. The ultra-consistent gelding was only once out of the first two last year, winning the La Puente Stakes, the G3 Baldwin Stakes, the G2 Colonial Turf Cup and G2 Virginia Derby. He was also second in the G2 Del Mar Derby (beaten a nose), the G2 Oak Tree Derby (beaten a head) and the G1 Hollywood Derby. Battle Of Hastings is a half-brother to Varsfontein mare Subyan Dreams, whose Black Minnaloushe yearling filly Felix The Cat will be offered as lot 534 at the National Sales in April.

Dane Julia Takes Aim at Coolmore Classic
Prominent owner and breeder Sean Buckley has enjoyed great success with South African-bred daughters of the Nureyev stallion Caesour.
He first struck gold with Perfect Promise who he had purchased for $725,000 from the failed Written Bloodstock Syndicate. A Group 1 winner in South Africa, Perfect Promise won the CF Orr Stakes (G1) and Emancipation Stakes (G2). Her value continued to soar with the international success of her full sister Irridescence, a Group 1 winner in South Africa and Hong Kong.
Perfect Promise paved the way for Dane Julia who won her first five starts in her native South Africa including the South African Fillies Classic (G1).
For a long time stakes success proved elusive for Dane Julia in Australia. She added to her Group 1 tally with a productive trip to New Zealand for the New Zealand Bloodstock Thoroughbred Breeders’ Stakes at Te Aroha. She earned her first stakes on Australian soil in the Summoned Stakes (LR) at Sandown last November. Sent to Sydney by trainer Lee Freedman she finished third at her most recent start in the Triscay Stakes (LR) at Rosehill on February 20. The stable expressed some concern about the rain affected track at Warwick Farm on Saturday however the 6yo mare showed she is at the top of her game by winning the Listed Wiggle Quality (1400m) by a long neck over Bejewelled with Messenger a head away third
“With the track being rain-affected we didn’t think she could win today,” Lee Freedman stable spokesman Sam Pritchard-Gordon said.
“It just proves how well she is going.”
Dane Julia will now attempt to win a Group 1 in three countries when she lines up in the Coolmore Classic at Rosehill in a fortnights time.
A 20yo son of Nureyev, Caesour began his race career in Europe but his career highlight came as a 5yo in North America when he set a race record in the Bay Meadows Handicap (G2). A brother to French Group 1 winner Gracioso, Caesour is closely related to Arazi, Noverre, Dance In The Dark and Northerly’s sire Serheed, being out of the Graustark mare Don’t Sulk a daughter of the exceptional broodmare Dinner Partner.
– Mark Smith

Eagle Mountain injured, retired
Sheikh Mohammed bin Khalifa Al Maktoum’s star Eagle Mountain (GB) will be retired from racing and will take up a career at stud.
Eagle Mountain sustained an injured tendon in training after finishing second to Skysurfers at Meydan on 19 February and trainer Mike de Kock said: “This is his third career-threatening injury and enough is enough. He’s been a great servant to Sheikh Mohammed and the stable and did us proud.
He added: Eagle Mountain’s future as a stallion is being discussed and we will entertain offers for him.”
Eagle Mountain, a six-year-old by Rock Of Gibraltar from Masskana (Darshaan), raced 19 times for 5 wins and 7 places. He won the 2008 Group 1 Hong Kong Cup, the Group 2 UAE Royal Whip Stakes and the Juddmonte Beresford Stakes at The Curragh and the Group 3 Nayef Joel Stakes at Newmarket.
As a three-year-old he finished second to Authorized in the Group 1 Vodafone Derby and as a five-year-old he was second to Conduit in the Group 1 Breeders Cup Turf at Santa Anita racecourse. De Kock concluded: “He has an amazing race record and was one of the best horses I have ever worked with.”
– www.racingweb.co.za