The first mini-feature of the year, the $150,000 Woodlands Classic Stakes (2000m), was captured in style by Goldschatz on Saturday, incidentally ringing up his fourth win in a row.
Ridden by his winning partner at his last three outings, Vlad Duric, the Stephen Gray-trained galloper slotted in the perfect trailing position in third from the word go.
When Kin Keseki (Olivier Placais) scooted out three wide down the backstraight to harden up the pace set by Escamonda (Barend Vorster) with London Express (Mark Gallagher) carting along on his inside, Goldschatz stayed put a few lengths astern, happy to see the race play into his hands.
Goldschatz races clear under Vlad Duric to win the first mini-feature of the
2010 season - the Woodlands Classic Stakes.
Despite being ridden along, Kin Keseki and London Express duly weakened at the top of the straight, leaving Goldschatz to set sail after the leader.
Angled off the rails by Duric at the 300m, Goldschatz ($17) quickly levelled up with Patrick Shaw’s Argentinian Group 1 winner and after a brief tussle, drew clear for a comprehensive victory by just under four lengths from Escamonda, with dual Singapore Gold Cup winner El Dorado (Ronnie Stewart) running on late for third, first-up, another head away.
Goldschatz, who is owned by Mr Stephan Herzog, a former Singapore-based Estee Lauder manager now working in Dubai, clocked the smart time of 2mins 0.66sec for the 2000m.
Said an elated Gray at the winner’s circle: “I’m just so excited this horse has won, just for that man, Stephan, who has flown in from Dubai just to see him race.
“He had won three in a row and he’s now won four. I told Stephan he could do it again even if the field was pretty strong and he didn’t let us down.
“Vlad had him in the zone from the start, sitting behind the speed and everything went smoothly.
“His preparation for this race has been perfect. I made a mistake two years ago when I ran him in the Derby.
“He wasn’t ready for that and was flattened. That put me back and I had to work doubly hard to bring him back to his best.
“I don’t know if I’ll give him a break now. We’ll see, but I may give him a run in the SIA Cup (Singapore Airlines International Cup) as he can stay.”
A six-year-old by Pins out of the Centaine mare Centri Belle, Goldschatz, whose last success came in the Group 3 Proinn Construct Stakes last December, was at his seventh win for prizemoney now just a few notches below the half-a-million mark.
Duric said Goldschatz was the “perfect” horse to ride, even comparing him to his Caulfield Cup-winning ride Master O’Reilly.
“He’s pretty easy to ride. He jumps well and puts himself in the spot – very much like Master O’Reilly,” said Duric.
“I had him on the bridle in the perfect spot right behind the favourite. At the 600m, he came off the back of the favourite, and I was a bit concerned he had seen daylight a bit too soon.
“But he accelerated very well and put the race away in a few strides.
“Credit to Steve and the boys for having maintained him in good shape and had him spot-on for this race.”
The winning team show off their Woodlands Classic Stakes silverware.
Mr Herzog, who was accompanied by his wife, was so overwhelmed with emotion that he was reduced to tears at the winner’s circle.
“I love this horse. Whether he won or not today, I had to be here, give him a pat,” he said.
“That’s what matters to me. I see him run and come back in good health, safe and sound.”
The run of the race was of course El Dorado, who defied the knockers he could not carry weight to fly in late for third under the steadier of 59kg.
"It was an enormous run," said Stewart. "We were concerned before the race with the weight, but he has been working like a better horse this time in.
"He's actually wanting to race which he wasn't doing last time in until the Gold Cup.
"The plan was to ride him quietly and let him run on. We just got held up a bit coming around the turn which cost us a bit of ground.
"I'm not saying he would have won the race, but he should have finished a bit closer and it probably cost us second place.
"Under the circumstances, first-up with that weight over that trip, it was a very good run."
Vorster on his part said the 58kg did not do Escamonda any favours in the run to the line.
“It was always going to be tough with 58kg second-up. He’s only four-year-old and I’m sure he will mature further and become better down the road,” said Vorster.
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