Class Galloper Accelarometer is set for a Singapore campaign according to owner-breeder Gray Williamson from Mungrup Stud.
The winner of half of his eight races , including an hat trick in his last three runs, the Mc Flirt gelding is being set for the four year race series consisting of the $300,000 Stewards Cup (1400m), $500,000 Patron’s Bowl (1600m),both in June, and the $1.15 m Singapore Derby (2000m) in July.
“He hasn’t been tested beyond 1600m but he is a very relaxed horse and runs on in his races giving an indication he can be successful over more ground,” Williamson said.
Williamson, his wife Jan, and trainers Ross and Clint Price decided to strike North rather than East after developing the plan in consultation with Oz Racing principal Bruce Saxild who races several horses in Singapore and represents several trainers there.
“It is a chance to take a horse away and have him competitive plus the money is better than Perth.”
Ross Price concurred and said while he was naturally disappointed in losing a horse of Accelarometer’s ability he understood the reasons.The owner-breeder is also no fan of the current rating system and said it needed “adjustment,” as “they go up too quickly and come back too slowly.”
Price added: “He has gone up 13 rating points for his last three wins and earned $67,000 in stakes whereas in Melbourne he would have earned $105,000 for those performances.”
“VRC handicapper Greg Carpenter said that if he wins one or two of those rich Singapore races he would probably go up only 11 or 12 points from his current 78. If he won one of those types of races in Perth he would be severely penalised by the handicapper.”
Price said a further factor in the decision was the softer ground in Singapore. “The hard track at Ascot takes its toll on good horses and Accelarometer has already had enough problems with his front feet.”
Williamson said that Accelarometer, currently in quarantine in Victoria, would be sent to Singapore in the next three weeks.
“This will give him plenty of time to settle over there and as Ross and Clint believe in a properly prepared campaign, it will be no hit and run mission.”
The galloper will be prepared by 39 year old trainer Shane Baertschiger who has taken over from his father Don , a leading trainer on the Singapore circuit for 19 years, until his retirement in February last year.
“I have seen vision of his last three wins and to me he looks the ideal type of horse for the four year old series,” the Singapore trainer said.
Mungrup Stud bred stock are regular winners on WA tracks and took the quinella of the first race at Ascot on January 12 (Lenience and Yampi Lass).
This is by no means an exception but rather a regular occurrence.
At the last Pinjarra meeting the stud had three winners and only a few weeks previously had two Ascot winners and four at Narrogin on the same day.
Accelarometer is by the value-sire McFlirt who stands at Mungrup for only $3000 a serve.
Like his sire, Accelerometer was hardly rushed for as a youngster and in fact Williamson withdrew this promising galloper, along with Comfysofa and Just Hoping (both of whom have won two races) at a yearling sale.
“The prices were low, around the $5000 mark, and so rather than sell them I withdrew all three,” the stud owner said.
It would have been a good buy as the Williamson decision to race Accelarometer in his colours has now yielded over $97,000 in prize money.
McFlirt also sired Global Flirt who has scored in 8 of his 28 starts for over $276,000 in stakes. This versatile galloper has won over a variety of distances, for Justin Warwick, and a summer hat-trick of wins, at Ascot, over 2200m, has stamped him as a future Perth Cup prospect.
John Elsegood