Take a Bow Captain

Karaka graduate My Royal Captain (Zabeel x Kiwi Magic) delighted the Kranji crowd with a gutsy performance in the Listed S$500,000 Patrons' Bowl (1400m) on Friday night.

A strong pace was set from the start by Coup Leader and Zinly with My Royal Captain, ridden by Noel Callow, settling back in the field and just off the fence. Callow then asked My Royal Captain to move forward on the turn. In the home straight the gelding was headed by Echague but showed a lot of fight to meet the finish line a head in front with Chevron a further two lengths back in third.

My Royal Captain was a NZ$120,000 purchase from the 2004 Karaka Premier Sale by Rob McAnulty from his breeders, Don & Rochelle McLaren, through the Haunui Farm draft.

The four-year-old is trained by Laurie Laxon for Dragon Stable and has now amassed S$488,855 and 92,000Dhs in prize money from his six wins and four placings from just 13 starts.

His dam, Kiwi Magic (by Vice Regal) has been a wonderful broodmare at stud for the McLaren's, producing nine individual winners including the dual Group One winner, Flitter (by Bluebird) as well as the stakes performed Sakti (by Grosvenor).

Other winners on the card included the Karaka graduates Landau (Towkay x Hypatia Lee) in the HSBC Stakes Class 4 S$55,000 (1400m) and Lim's Ocean (O'Reilly ex Robbers Aunty) in the Maiden S$35,000 (1600m).

Meanwhile, it was a case of�d�j� vu for race goers at Sha Tin on Sunday night, when superstar, and also Karaka graduate, Vengeance of Rain (Zabeel x Danelagh) finished second to Viva Pataca in the HK$8,000,000 Group 1 Champions and Chater Cup (2400m). Following a fast run race, set up by Saturn, Vengeance of Rain could not rein in Viva Pataca in the home stretch. The same pair filled first and second spot when they previously met in the Group 1 QEII Cup (2000m) five weeks ago.