News

Holy Empire takes the next step

22nd Oct 2013

*Singapore Turf Club - Craig Brennan - Sunday, 20 October 2013​

Trainer Michael Freedman continued his successful run in feature races in 2013 by capturing the Group 3 $200,000 Saas Fee Stakes over 1400m on Sunday.

Ridden by Alan Munro, Holy Empire, the $11 favourite, scored by a neck over Supernova (Lisa Allpress) with Boundless Glory (A’Isisuhairi ‘Harry’ Kasim) three-and-a-half lengths away third.

Landing his third successive win, Holy Empire recorded a time of 1 min 21.36 secs for the journey with the race was run in drizzling rain.

Holy Empire’s victory was Freedman’s seventh feature race win of the year, following his 10 ‘Black Type’ victories in 2012.

One of the first to begin, Munro elected to take the sit in third place behind stablemate Matterhorn (Corey Brown) and Supernova on settling down. Dark Matter (Manoel Nunes) and Boundless Glory were next in line.

There was little change to the running order. While the field didn’t look to be going quickly the way the race was run certainly suited those up on the pace.

Supernova joined Matterhorn on straightening for home while from behind that pair Holy Empire was edging off heels and into clear galloping room.

Allpress pressed the button aboard Supernova but Munro wasn’t going to let that galloper get too far away and was breathing down his neck. The pair singled out over the final 200m for a duel to the line with the more fancied Holy Empire prevailing much to the delight of punters.

Boundless Glory held on bravely – but was comfortably beaten – to finish third while Martin (Danny Beasley), on the comeback trail from injury and on a Group 1 Longine Singapore Gold Cup (2200m) path, rattled home for fourth in an eye-catching performance.

After studying the conditions of the race Freedman thought the Saas Fee Stakes would be a good test for the four-year-old who provided his trainer with his second win in the race having previously been successful in 2011 with Better Be The One.

Freedman – and owner Bernard Lee of Horizon Stable – had contemplated running Holy Empire next in the Group 2 EW Barker Trophy over 1400m on November 10 as his next assignment following his last start success on October 6 when winning a Benchmark 97 Stakes over 1400m.

“Bernard and I had a chat about plans,” said Freedman. “We talked about this race and also about whether to go straight into the EW Barker without another run.

“But after I had a look at the conditions of this race I thought it looked a really good option for him. I thought he’d be well in at the weights and that was without even knowing what else was in the race.

“He’s a progressive sort of horse that has just continued to improve. For any horse to string three or four together on end, that proves that they have a touch of class.

“He’s still an entire but he’s a very tractable and a genuine horse and is shaping up as the right article.

“Even though he’s winning at 1400m now, I can’t wait to get him up to the mile (1600m), 1800m and even 2000m into the future.

“His pedigree suggests that he will appreciate that sort of trip and he looks to have a very bright future.”

Freedman said he will assess how the entire pulls-up from his victory on Sunday and may look at entering him for the Group 1 $500,000 Raffles Cup over 1800m next Sunday.

Munro, who has been aboard Holy Empire at his past five starts, registering four victories and a second placing, said the four-year-old was made to work hard for his victory on Sunday.

“He had to work for that win today,” said Munro. “The races are getting harder for him but he still rose to the occasion today.

“He’s got a good turn of foot and he had to fight all the way to the line for the win.

“The race worked out perfectly for us. It was always my intention to follow Matterhorn in the run and wait for a split, but the opportunity arose for me to slip to the outside in the straight and give him his chance to run on.

“He’s a good horse and just keeps improving all the time and I really like his fight.”

A Australian-bred four-year-old by Holy Roman Emperor from Dushanbe, Holy Empire has now won six of his 10 starts in Singapore and with a further three minor placings has notched around $400,000 in prizemoney for Horizon Stable.