Trainer Shane Baertschiger was only half-joking when he said he hoped debuting two-year-old Bold Thruster would be an “A-A” in the juvenile series this year.
The Australian handler trained last year’s champion two-year-old Be Bee, who did not cut his teeth in any of the Legs of the Singapore Golden Horseshoe series, but did win at his Kranji debut in a Restricted Maiden race in the run-up to the Group 2 Aushorse Golden Horseshoe (1200m), which he made his own 11 days later.
The Auric Stable-owned Be Bee has since stamped himself as a classy sort, winning two more races when he turned one year older, including the first Leg of the Singapore Three-Year-Old Challenge, the Group 3 Singapore Three-Year-Old Sprint (1200m), but the mile of the Group 1 Singapore Guineas (won hands down by Mr Clint) on Saturday proved too far for him.
Baertschiger is now having another crack with a new team of “babies”, launching Bold Thruster in the second Leg of the five-Leg series, the $90,000 Magic Millions National Yearling Sale Stakes (1100m) on Sunday while two others, Royal Pavilion (1200m on turf) and Mr O’Reilly (1100m) will make their bow in the Restricted Maiden races on Friday and Sunday respectively.
Of the trio, Bold Thruster seems to be the more forward at this stage, hence his handler pinning his hopes on the black son of Turffontein as the one to fill Be Bee’s big horseshoes, if not go even better with an A-A grade or A+.
“Bold Thruster seems to be a nice horse. Obviously, Ricardo’s (Le Grange) horse (Pennywise) will be hard to beat as he has the experience,” said Baertschiger who currently lies in second spot, tied on 26 winners with Lee Freedman and Daniel Meagher, but with Freedman on top on a countback for seconds.
“But Tivic bought Bold Thruster as a yearling and the 2YO series was always his target. Let’s hope he can be as good as Be Bee, if not better – an A-A would be nice!
“Bold Thruster has done everything right since I put a saddle on him. He’s a nice big horse with big strides. He’s been professional from Day 1.
“JP (John Powell) will ride him and they have drawn gate one, which is a good advantage.
“Tivic Stable owns Bold Thruster, but he won’t be their first two-year-old to run for us. On Friday, Royal Pavilion will be the one as he runs in the Restricted Maiden race over 1200m.
“I have another two-year-old going around on Sunday, in the other Restricted Maiden race over 1100m. Alysha Collett will ride both Royal Pavilion and Mr O’Reilly as they’ve both got 49.5kgs."
A son of O’Reilly, Mr O’Reilly was actually in the same barrier trial as the one stablemate Bold Thruster won convincingly last Thursday. Ridden by Matthew Kellady and owned by the MA Racing Stable, Mr O’Reilly led out and had Bold Thruster (Powell) matching motors on his outside for most of the way before the latter edged past inside the last 100m, with both Baertschigers not fully extended.
“Both Bold Thruster and Mr O’Reilly have trialled very well, especially at their last one last Thursday when they finished 1-2,” said Baertschiger.
“Royal Pavilion also won a nice trial on the same day. He’ll be my first Tivic runner after Olympian Eager.”
Better remembered for the deeds of 2014 Singapore Horse of the Year Stepitup, Thomas Loke’s Tivic Stable is a recent newcomer to the Baertschiger yard, having moved in with Olympian Eager and Keepitup from David Kok’s yard.
Olympian Eager, a strapping five-year-old son of I Am Invincible, won on debut for Baertschiger on April 6 and has not reappeared since. Royal Pavilion and Bold Thruster are his two new buys and latest additions to the Baertschiger yard.
