Ferocious gave a few scares but in the end lived up to his solid barrier trial form to win the $90,000 IRT Juvenile Stakes (1200m) on Friday night.

Not one of the best away, the Mark Walker-trained debutant looked mired in traffic for most of the way in the penultimate Leg of the six-Leg Singapore Golden Horseshoe series, ahead of only two runners.

Even at the top of the straight, those who had punted the son of Sebring down to $18 second favouritism, must have thought their chances were up in smoke as favourite Mokastar (Barend Vorster) came off a handy spot to collar Charger (Vlad Duric) on the rails.

 

But jockey Shafiq Rizuan had a lapful underneath, and the moment he set Ferocious alight, it soon became clear which way the fifth Leg was going.

Ducking and weaving between runners, Ferocious was in full flight as he went whoosh through a gap between Mokastar and Charger. Those two could only watch helpless as Walker’s new ward flashed past towards an ultra-impressive 2 ¼-length win from Charger with Mokastar third another head away.

The winning time was 1min 10.51secs for the 1200m on the Long Course.

At the winner’s circle, Walker did not specifically make the last Leg, the Group 2 Aushorse Golden Horseshoe (1200m) on July 7 as Ferocious’ next target, just saying there were a few options for the raced by the same connections as his best two-year-old last year, Hello Michelle, Malaysian outfit Synthetic Stable.

“He trialled well (won one and was ridden quietly in the other), but the first time on turf is always a bit of a question mark,” said the 2015 Singapore champion trainer.

“He was a little slow out of the gates, which threw off our plan to sit handier. But Shafiq was able to hold him together and gave him a lovely patient ride.

“When the gaps came, the horse quickened away really well. Well done to the Synthetic Stable.

“He was a bit of a colt when he first came to us and we gelded him. I think he’s a really nice horse.”

Shafiq said Ferocious was quite a professional horse and did not come across as a juvenile at his first run at Kranji.

“He doesn’t feel like a two-year-old. I didn’t have to do much on him, he did the rest,” said the two-time Singapore champion apprentice jockey.

“He jumped slow, but it was over the Long Course, and I wasn’t too worried. The other horses were three to four wide as two-year-olds do, and when my horse saw daylight, he just kept going.

“Mr Walker put the blinkers on him once but he was keen. He decided to take them off for his first race.”