Photo: Singapore Turf Club
Curraghmore graduations provided a winning double in Singapore on Friday.
Heart of Courage winning the fourth race on the card, the open maiden over 1200m.
The Fastnet Rock four-year-old by Fastnet Rock out of winning Massipour mare Myrrh, was purchased by David Ellis for $510,000 out of Curraghmore’s 2016 New Zealand Bloodstock Premier Yearling Sale draft.
He is a half-brother to Gr.1 AJC Doncaster Handicap and multiple Group winner Triple Honour and multiple race winners Strong Gain, Disciple and fellow Curraghmore graduate Enormous Honour who has won three races in Hong Kong.
The Te Awamutu farm’s second winner of the evening came via Sacred Sham who won the fifth race of the evening, the Class 3 1200m race at just his third Singaporean start.
Bred by David Ellis and Greg Tomlinson’s Nearco Stud Sacred Sham is by O’Reilly out of the former top Singapore mare Mexican Rose.
The now five-year-old gelding was purchased by O’Brien Thoroughbreds and Raffles Racing out of Curraghmore’s 2015 New Zealand Bloodstock Premier Yearling Sale for $160,000.
He began his career in Victoria under the tutelage of Danny O’Brien, winning three races from 1000m – 1100m.
Under a front running ride by apprentice AB Riduan Sacred Sham scored by three-quarters-of-a-length from Yabadabadoo and Despacito.
“I thought there would be more speed to the race, but he ended up getting a soft lead,” winning trainer Mark Walker told the Singapore Turf Club.
“I just told Nik (Riduan) to settle him where he is comfortable, but he led and just kept going. The four-kilo claim probably helped him, too.
“He’s a horse who had a few issues when he came to us. He bled before his first start and we’ve got to manage him carefully.
“Well done to Dato Yap and his racing manager Bruce Sherwin.”
