Second-year trainer Daniel Meagher captured his first feature success with outsider Secret Win landing a boilover win in the $150,000 Group 3 El Dorado Classic (2200m) on Sunday.
Meagher, one of the long-time assistants to his father John at Kranji with brother Chris, has known the giddy heights of such Group acclaim with the likes of Kim Angel, Lim’s Objective and Mayo’s Music in the past, but was for the first time basking in the limelight on his own.
The moment was even more surreal for the young Australian, who has always considered Singapore as his second home, given Secret Win only opened his account at his last start – his 11th start - seven days ago in moderate Class 4 company and was also on the quick back-up.
Secret Win (Benny Woodworth, No 14) off to a shocking $197 victory in the El Dorado Classic on Sunday, picture Singapore Turf Club
But that is how self-belief, or in Meagher’s case, a good dose of fair-dinkum Australian can-do spirit, can turn dreams into reality in horse racing.
Bringing up the rear in the capacity 16-horse field, the Haradasun five-year-old was probably given scant attention by most for most of the gruelling 2200m journey, except maybe his connections, a handful of rare backers and exotic bet lovers lured by his juicy $197 dividend.
Jockey Benny Woodworth, who was aboard at his last win, only got on his bike as pacesetter Order Of The Sun (Wong Chin Chuen) and Perfect P (Michael Rodd) approached the home turn for that long stretch to the finishing line.
The 16 runners were well spread across the track upon cornering, but it was Perfect P who had ‘winner’ written all over when he hit the front at the 300m.
Someone had, however, flouted the boardroom hierarchy a little it seems as $22 favourite Chairman (Alan Munro) soon took his place into the driving seat, sticking to his own script as he came drawing on level terms before kicking clear.
A noted grinder, the Irish-bred Galileo had the El Dorado Classic in his keeping for about 200m, but if Munro had a rear-view mirror, he would have known he was about to lose his mantle any second.
Secret Win, who had the luxury load of only 51.5kgs on his back, was putting on wings on very foot as he came with a scorching run on the complete outside. Chairman, who began from the outermost alley, fought back like a bulldog but had to in the end bow to Secret Win’s superior finish.
Secret Win scored with half-a-length to spare from Chairman with in-and-out performer Blue Swede (John Powell) a meritorious third another head away. The winning time was 2min 15.09secs for the 2200m on the Long Course.
“It’s fantastic I’ve won my first Group win at only my second year of training here, and I hope I’m on track to emulating what my father John has achieved here, and do him, mum, (brothers) Chris and Paul proud,” said Meagher as he takes the first step towards the hard act which is his father’s 29 Group wins at Kranji, including seven at Group 1 level.
“To do it with a horse I never expected to win is an even greater feeling. We thought he was more of a Gold Cup horse and we have now overachieved with him.
“He will definitely go to the Gold Cup now. I have to thank the owner (Chua Poh Seng) as he buys real quality horses and he has become a very good friend of mine. I’m sure he will get a lot more success.
“I also take my hat off to Benny. He said from Day 1 this horse was a Derby horse, and at the time I kind of half-agreed with him, but he’s been proven right today.
“He always needed 2200m as he’s a dead-set stayer. After he won last Sunday, he pulled up so good that I had to run him in the El Dorado and I’m so rapt it’s paid off.”
Winning team smiling after the triumph: (from left) Senior track rider Tony Lane, Preston Jansz, friend of owner Chua Poh Seng who was absent, jockey Benny Woodworth and trainer Daniel Meagher, picture Singapore Turf Club
A former champion apprentice jockey, Woodworth, 44, has been a bit of a journeyman whose star dimmed for a few years, but it was just a matter of waiting for the right horse to come by.
After capturing two Group wins earlier with an unheralded hero, Forever Young, the Group 1 Singapore Guineas (1600m) and the Group 2 Chairman’s Trophy (1800m), he was again the toast of Kranji with another surprise guest.
Since Captain Obvious in the 2011 Group 3 Jumbo Jet Trophy 2011, the Malaysian rider did not ride another ‘black type’ winner until dead-heating with Order Of The Sun in the Group 3 Colonial Chief Stakes in 2015.
No silverware came his way again the next year, but 2017 has clearly been a most unexpected watershed year for the media-shy jockey.
“It’s been an incredible season. I will count my blessings,” he said.
“It may look like I was a bit too far back but I knew he was a very good stayer, and it didn’t really matter he was last.
“There wasn’t much point being up there early, better drop back to last. He can be a funny horse to ride – you use him early, he gets rolled.
“At the 800m, that’s when all the other horses start to improve and get a run. I rode to the trainer’s instructions to ride him for luck, and it’s come off good.”
While runner-up Chairman may not have ruled on Sunday, trainer Lee Freedman’s assistant-trainer Shane Ellis was already rubbing his hands in anticipation of the ultimate prize on November 12, the Group 1 Dester Singapore Gold Cup (2200m).
“He was three wide without cover down the back, and it was worse when CC Wong went in front, he was stuck out there,” said the Perth horseman.
“If he had drawn a barrier, he would have been hard to beat. It was still a gallant effort, don’t forget the track was also firm as he hasn’t rained all week.
“We’ll get him ready for the Gold Cup. If it rains, he will grow another leg.”
Known as Houghton when he raced in New Zealand where he recorded only one win over 1600m at a country track named Te Teko last year in June, Secret Win had only around $73,000 in the bank before his El Dorado triumph, but has now seen that amount more than double to around $150,000.
