Le Grange launches Rocket Star and Zoffspeed in 2YO series

Trainer Ricardo Le Grange is hoping his good affinity with two-year-olds continues this year as the annual Singapore Golden Horseshoe series kicks off with the $75,000 Inglis Ready2Race Sale Stakes (1000m) this Sunday.

The South African handler took three of the five Legs up for grabs last year. Pennywise was the early star when he claimed the first two races, the Kranji Nursery Stakes (1000m) and the Magic Millions National Yearling Sale Stakes (1100m), two weeks apart.

Le Grange also won the fourth Leg, which was then known as the same Inglis Ready2Race Stakes, but run over 1200m on turf instead, with Streetwise, who just like Pennywise, is an Argentinian-bred by Pure Prize and races in Bernard Kantor’s colours.

Unfortunately, neither Kantor runners won the ultimate prize, the Group 2 Aushorse Golden Horseshoe (1200m), which was captured by Steven Burridge’s Lim’s Lightning on 13 July.

Le Grange also fielded Gamely and Toosbies, who finished out of the placings. Regardless, Le Grange clearly had a stranglehold on last year’s series, softened up only by Lim’s Lightning, who also won the third Leg.

New kids have joined Le Grange’s block this year, and Rocket Star and Zoffspeed will be the first to emerge from the nursery.

Before fans extrapolate, Rocket Star is not in any way related to Rocket Man (trained by Le Grange’s former boss Patrick Shaw), and neither is he raced by the Singapore icon’s owner Fred Crabbia. It’s just a name new owner Rodolfo Mendoza liked.

“Rodolfo is from the Philippines and is a new owner I met at the Magic Millions sale at the Gold Coast last year,” said Le Grange.

“He was looking to buy a horse he would then send up to Singapore. We picked this horse out of the Ready-To-Run.”

While all juveniles are like new car prototypes being launched into the unknown, Le Grange has seen nothing but positive signs in both Rocket Star’s and Zoffspeed’s preps.

“Both have done very well since they’ve been here,” he said.

“Let’s see how they run first as we all know how an unraced two-year-old can be an unknown quantity. For their first time racing, you’ve got to be careful.

“Rocket Star showed some ability in his barrier trial. He put himself in his trial quite quickly.”

The son of Star Witness began okay for apprentice jockey Krisna Thangamani as stablemate and two-year-old filly Stormy View (Callan Murray) led at a good clip.

He then improved around the outside before collaring Stormy View and pushing clear from Mowgli (Glen Boss) to score by 0.50 lengths.

Zoffspeed, a progeny of Zoffany, was less forward in his racing mannerisms, but did run home nicely at his two barrier trials. The Guy Shirtliff-owned gelding was also handled by Le Grange’s apprentice jockey Krisna, who keeps the ride on Sunday while Murray jumps on Rocket Star. –