You couldn't blame Victorian based owner and breeder Emma Boling for having a
soft spot for racing in Singapore.
As part of what she describes as an
"international experiment" Boling and her partner Graeme Little sent two horses
to race in Singapore.
The two - the former dashing performer
Steal a Scene and the promising youngster Sloane Street - both jetted off to Singapore for
what was going to be an interesting "experiment."
But Boling and Little could not have
dreamed of the success they would have a few months down the track.
On Saturday night the recent winning form
of both gallopers reached another level when they both won on the same program - and not
just any program - it was international race night.
Yes that's right, the same night the
Australian bred, owned and trained gelding North Boy stolled away to win the Group Three
Krisflyer Sprint at the Kranji track.
Before North Boy sent the Australians wild
in the stands they were already cheering after the first race was run.
Sloane Street, a three-year-old filly by
Dolphin Street, gave the males a galloping lesson in her two length win in a S$55,000
event.
"We were pretty confident Sloane
Street would run well before the race," Boling recalled. "But she gave us a
scare when she was on her way to the barriers before the race."
Boling recalled the moment when her in form
filly stumbled when going out on the track.
"She stumbled for a stride and then
obviously stumbled again," Boling said. "Saimee (her jockey) thought something
bad had happened and he jumped off her immediately."
"Thankfully there was nothing wrong
and the rest is history."
History yes - Sloane Street pulled away for
an easy win as Boling and Little cheered from the stand.
Boling however admitted she was in the
process of having a bet when the filly stumbled and with the uncertainty of the incident
she halved her bet!
While the North Boy celebrations were
continuing Boling and Little centred their attention to the second of their runners, the
former dashing Melbourne galloper Steal a Scene.
Boling admits now that she had virtually
given up hope of winning the race in the middle stages.
"He was pulling hard in front and I
turned to the others and told them that he was no chance," Boling said. "But to
his credit he fought hard and drew away to win by three lengths."
Steal a Scene, a South Australian bred
galloper, is being set for the Singapore Gold Cup, a race he finished unplaced in last
year.
"He ran in the Cup at his first run in
Singapore last year and he just was not ready for it. He's much better now," she
said.
Both Sloane Street and Steal a Scene are
trained by former Flemington based trainer John Meagher, who shot to the lead in the
premiership thanks to the Boling double.
Meagher will get another instalment from
the "international experiment" shortly. Boling is in the process of sending her
third horse to Singapore.
"We're actually sending up Racer's
Edge's full brother at the moment," Boling said. "He's two, rising three, and
like his big brother he isn't overly attractive but that didn't stop his brother did
it!"
With two of the current best performed
gallopers in the country at present and one well bred youngster on the way, we can expect
to hear more success for the Boling and Meagher combination in Singapore for a while yet! |
