War Affair wins the Singapore Guineas (Liesl King)
War Affair (NZ) and Danny Beasley gave a supreme display of power galloping to win the S$500 000 Gr1 Singapore Guineas (1600m) at Kranji on Friday night, showing the three-year-old O’Reilly gelding’s potential to step out on the world stage next year.
The Alwin Tan War Affair took it all in his capable stride and when Beasley asked him to go forward to take command of the race he did it with ease, and then he went away from them all to drive the point home as to who was the best three-year-old in Singapore.
Beasley broke well with War Affair from barrier five and he allowed Lively Dragon and Allpress to speed out ahead with the margin stretching from 4L in the back straight to 10l with 1200m to run.
Goodman and Corey Brown were second with Daniel and I Saifudin third and Marseille Roulette fourth, all in a group, and War Affair and Beasley comfortable in fifth 3L off the second group.
The chasers closed on Lively Dragon as they came towards the end of the turn for the main straight and Beasley decided that it was time to make his mark.
He set War Affair off after those in front going five wide off the turn and almost immediately after they straightened they had passed most of them and were line astern with Goodman and Brown who had taken over the lead at the 400m mark.
With 350m to run Beasley stepped War Affair up again and with an effortless turn of foot he went past Goodman and away to a 2L lead.
Danny Beasley shows his appreciation for a great effort (Liesl King)
The margin kept on increasing all the way to the line and they were 4L ahead as they crossed the finish post with Beasley not having to extend War Affair.
Daniel (NZ) (Gullotine) and Saifudin just overcame Goodman (NZ) (Alamosa) for second with the margin a head. Rise ‘N’ Shine was fourth 3L away and Perfect Challenger fifth.
The time of 1.33.69 on the Good track set a new track record by 0.16 breaking the previous three-year-old time. War Affair paid A$1.20 on the co-mingled STAB pool and A$1.25 on Fixed Odds.
“This is my first Group 1 win, and I have to say there’s been a bit of pressure to win this race,” said Tan.
“This horse is just wonderful, but I have to say it’s a team effort. We’ve all worked as a very good team.
“Danny has put in a lot of effort in this horse as well and I have to thank him too, and of course the owners (Warplan Racing Stable headed by Madam Pam Sew Chaw and her son Jason Ong who assists Tan at the stables).
“The longer the better for him. I haven’t really planned anything for him yet, but down the road, I guess I will look at travelling him to Dubai along with a couple of horses hopefully, and if all goes well, the SIA Cup next year.
“But I can’t think now. I just want to enjoy this victory.”
“I got to the front way too soon, but take nothing away from the winner he was way too good,” said Corey Brown.
“I have won a few Group 1’s and everyone is special, but this one is like a real team effort,” said Beasley.
“We were confident he would win the first two races but this was the one we wanted and this is the one we got.
“The speed was good and we had a perfect run. He went two furlongs (400m) and he was just in my hand. He was breathing and enjoying himself, you just get goose bumps that far out, he is bloody special this horse.
“He has got a great turn of foot and he goes to the front and he won by four, but the last 200m he is coasting and he is waiting for something to come out at him. It will take a good one to knock him off,” he said.
With the Singapore Guineas win, War Affair continues the perfect run of all Singapore champion three-year-olds having won the Triple Crown since the introduction of the current format of the Singapore Three-Year-Old Challenge, by the same token, taking home the bonus of $150,000 up for grabs.
Better Than Ever got the ball rolling at the inaugural editon in 2010, followed by Gingerbread Man (2011), Super Easy (2012) and Stepitup (2013).
War Affair, out of the Kris S mare Kristique, was purchased by David Ellis for $70,000 out of the draft of Trelawney Stud at the 2012 New Zealand Bloodstock Premier Yearling Sale. He was initially trained by Mark Walker at Kranji before being transferred to Tan’s stable.
On Friday he was winning for the ninth time from 12 races and with two seconds he has earned stakes of around S$1.4 million for owners Warplan Racing.
*The other feature on the night was a triumph for trainer Laurie Laxon.
Last season’s champion Kranji trainer provided the exacta in the S$325 000Gr2 Aushorse Golden Horseshoe (1200m) with flying filly Kiwi Karma (NZ) under Manuel Nunes holding out stablemate Affleck (NZ) and Danny Beasley to scoop the rich juvenile race.
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