Infantry marches home in Singapore
The fact that a fortune isn’t required to find a big-time winner was emphasised once again in Sunday’s Singapore Derby.
A bargain $7,000 weanling purchase at a New Zealand sale took his earnings to S$1.3 million with his Singapore Derby victory.
Cambridge Stud stallion Tavistock continued his brilliant run of progeny in staying features when his 4-year-old son, the Alwin Tantrained Infantry, took out the 2000m Derby at Kranji.
One of three Tan-trained runners in the race, the Manoel Nunes-ridden Infantry settled forward of midfield before working into the clear around heels at the 400m mark and hit the front with 200m to go.
The gelding held off the late challenge of the Laurie Laxontrained and William Pike-ridden Lim’s Samurai by a length, with the winner’s stablemate, New Zealand-bred, Nova Strike a son of Red Giant another neck back in third place.
Patron’s Bowl winner Alibi another Nz-bred by Darci Brahma, who settled in third spot on the rails for jockey Glen Boss, finished fourth after taking inside runs but could not match his rivals.
Infantry was able to turn the tables on Alibi, having finished third to the Michael Clementstrained gelding in the Patron’s Bowl and third in the Stewards’ Cup.
It was the first Singapore Derby success for Tan, denying veteran trainer Laxon a stakes victory before he returns to New Zealand to take up a position as the private trainer for Sir Peter Vela in the new racing season.
Infantry is out of the unplaced mare The Nightingale whose three foals to race have all been winners, making the gelding a brother to Michael and Mat Pitman’s Listedplaced Night Nurse and a halfbrother to dual winner New Lea
Tavistock has sired three other Derby winners, including Australian Derby winner Tavago, Victoria Derby winner Tarzino and Werther, who won the Hong Kong Derby. Infantry is one of 13 stakes winners for Tavistock.
Meantime in Hong Kong, jockey Joao Moreira broke the record for most winners in a season for the third term in a row after he rode a double at Sha Tin on Sunday, taking his total number of winners for the season to 169 wins, one more than the 168 he accrued in 2015-2016.