Trainer Shane Baertschiger landed his first “Black Type” success when El Milagro scored an all-the-way win in the Group 3 $200,000 Kranji Sprint over 1200m on Friday night.
Ridden by Danny Beasley, El Milagro scored by a length-and-a-quarter from Masthead (Alan Munro) with Makkura (Greg Cheyne) three-quarters-of-a-length away third.
El Milagro recorded a slick 1min 08.84secs for the 1200m trip.
Baertschiger, who took over training when his father Don retired around 13 months ago, had plenty of “Black Type” success when the assistant-trainer but Friday night’s victory was the first under his own name.
El Milagro (Danny Beasley) goes all the way in the Group 3 Kranji Sprint on Friday night.
El Milagro began quickly from gate number seven and Beasley had the gelding on the fence after travelling 200m and under a good hold.
Emerald Hill (Saifudin Ismail) and Savannah Dancer (Manoel Nunes) were in close attendance under a strong pace with the opening 600m run in around 34.5 secs.
Turning for home Beasley asked El Milagro to quicken and the four-year-old lengthened his stride and defied the opposition to run him down in the straight.
Baertschiger revealed it was the plan to target the race first-up and he will now set the gelding for the Group 1 $500,000 Lion City Cup over 1200m on April 28.
El Milagro was having his first start for 131 days, having not started since winning a Kranji Stakes A over 1400m on November 25.
“This was the target all the way through,” said Baertschiger. “We put him away after his last run with this race in mind for him.
“He trialled really well last week and we thought if he could run up to that then I he had to be a really good chance.
“I’ve got to say a really big thank-you to Matthew Kellady. He’s ridden the horse in all his gallops and he trialled him for me last week.
“He’s done a great job getting him ready and everything has gone to plan the whole way through.
“We’ll keep him ticking over now and we’ll run him next in the Lion City Cup.”
El Milagro carried 52kg on Friday night but will rise to the 57kg in the Lion City Cup under the weight-for-age conditions of the race.
Beasley said Baertschiger had El Milagro so well prepared for Friday night’s race that apart from the champion Rocket Man no other horse would have beaten him.
“Even though we were running time in the early stages it felt like we were going half-pace,” said Beasley.
Trainer Shane Baertschiger celebrates his first Group success with jockey Danny Beasley.
“He now deserves to have a crack at the weight-for-age conditions of the Lion City Cup and obviously he’s going to find it harder against the likes of Mr Big, Super Easy and Speedy Cat.
“But the way he went tonight nothing, apart from Rocket Man, would have beaten him.
“He was just as strong at the end of the race as he was at the start and it took me all the way to the 1000m to pull him up.
“After we went 100m I knew we were going to be hard to beat. Once he crossed them he came back underneath and relaxed really well.
“He was breathing beautifully and wasn’t ripping a tearing and just doing it easily.
“Full marks must go to ‘Stretch’ for having him so well prepared for tonight’s race.”
Beasley will have to make way for stable rider John Powell when El Milagro lines-up in the Lion City Cup in three weeks time.
“I certainly understand the situation with ‘Stretch’ and ‘JP’,” said Beasley. “Johnny’s the stable rider and he couldn’t make the weight tonight.
“I was happy to step in and take the ride and I’d be happy to again take the ride should the opportunity arise in the Lion City Cup.”
El Milagro is a four-year-old Australian-bred by Red Dazzler from Vinzky and is raced by the Bingo Stable. His record stands at 16 starts for eight wins and three minor placings for prizemoney of around $480,000.
