Exciting prospect Zac Kasa lived up to his prohibitive odds to make all in the $85,000 Restricted Maiden race over 1200m on Sunday.

 

Considered by many as the certainty of the day, the Reset grey had put the writing on the wall with two scintillating barrier trial wins (aggregate lengths in excess of 10 lengths) but trainer Cliff Brown still thought he was not entirely bombproof, especially regarding his barrier manners and fitness level.

 

However, with the Singapore Three-Year-Old Challenge around the corner – kicks off on March 30 with the Group 3 Singapore Three-Year-Old Sprint (1200m) – the Australian handler had to hasten up procedures a little.

Zac Kasa (Michael Rodd) makes winning look easy in Race 2, picture Singapore Turf Club

Showing the same natural speed as at his barrier trials, Zac Kasa flew the lids to take up the running without spending much petrol, leaving the rest of his seven rivals (Wolf Warrior was a late scratching) well strung out.

 

Up in the saddle, jockey Michael Rodd did not have to do much other than point Zac Kasa in the right direction up until Lim’s Zoom (Glen Boss) came ranging alongside at the 300m.

 

Once Rodd let some rein slip through his hands, Brown’s ward responded with a few leaps and bounds which left Lim’s Zoom standing for a few seconds, but that fitness query that had bugged Brown before the race did not take long to come into question as Zac Kasa started to get the staggers.

 

Luckily for the $6 favourite and his legion of backers, Lim’s Zoom also looked to  be hitting his peak. Running on fumes, Zac Kasa was able to hold a 1 ¼-length margin from Lim’s Zoom with newcomer Ban The Doubt (Vlad Duric) third another gap of nearly four lengths away in third place. The winning time was a smart 1min 9.68secs for the 1200m on the Long Course.

 

A relieved Brown said the race went exactly as he had anticipated and feared for the former colt, who was gelded after his debut third in a Restricted Maiden race over 1200m last October.

 

“To be honest, he was only 70% fit, but he had to run today to make the three-year-old series,” he said.

 

“I was panicking in the last bit, but to be fair, he was entitled to get tired. He has just the one small gallop a week for seven to eight weeks while he spends most of his time at the barriers.

 

“I’d like to thank the whole team who looked after him at the barriers, Sabri, my track rider, and the two Singapore Turf Club starters, Damien Kinninmont and John Pepe. They’ve all done an amazing job.

 

“He’s been a hard horse to take to the gates, but anything else, he’s done perfectly.”

 

Rodd said he was just the passenger aboard a horse he described as a “massive talent”, but who had still not reached his full potential yet.

 

“He’s a massive talent. Cliff doesn’t usually bring horses who are not 100% fit but the 3YO series start soon,” said the Australian jockey.

 

“I was just the passenger today. He had the blinkers on, and I just kept him going at a steady pace.

 

“He did get tired at the end. With his fitness level, and the way he went early, he had to stop.

 

“Full credit to the barrier staff and Sabri, Cliff’s main track rider. I was just sitting on him.

 

“He is a big talent, but he just needs to get his mind right.”