Shaw wins KrisFlyer Sprint with Ato

SINGAPORE:  May 20, 2012
 
ATO clearing away from MR BIG to win the KrisFlyer
International Sprint - SNTC photo

Trainer Patrick Shaw more than made up for the withdrawal of his champion sprinter ROCKET MAN in the S$1mil KrisFlyer International Sprint when his second stringer ATO won the international Group 1 1200m instead at Kranji here tonight.

The South African horse had won six races in the past two seasons but his only previous group success came in the Singapore Group 3 Woodlands Handicap (1200m) last August which was also his last victory.

ATO (Royal Academy - Another Legend by Lyphard's Wish) was originally purchased by Basil Marcus for R850,000 as a yearling and brought to Singapore by the African trainer.

When Marcus left Singapore early last year, Shaw took over and won five races with him last season.

ATO had a frustrating start to the 2012 campaign when he found one to beat in four consecutive starts, then finished fourth to ROCKET MAN in the Lion City Cup last month.

Ridden by Barend Vorster who has partnered him in all but one of his 20 starts, ATO came from just off the pace to beat Michael Freedman's classy three-year-old MR BIG (Elusive Quality - Basamaat by Danehill) by one and a half lengths to give Singapore a 1-2 finish.

"had the perfect trip, the only decision was whether to go inside or outside when I challenged. It is just fantastic to have won this race, I’m so very happy," said Vorster.

UK's SECRET ASSET (Clodovil - Skerray by Soviet Star) finished third, ahead of Singapore's CAPTAIN OBVIOUS (Verglas - Shathor by Tirol).

The odds-on favourite, Bahrain's KRYPTON FACTOR, who beat ROCKET MAN in this year's Dubai Golden Shaheen last time out, was never in the hunt in the soft going, finishing fifth.

RESULTS AT A GLANCE

1

 SIA A380 SYDNEY STAKES,  CLASS 4 - 1400M

9

 Jeram Clipper C Brown D Beasley

1

14

 Affirmation M Walker I Santana

2

5

 Speed Demon S Lam M Ewe

3

4

 Recycle World S Gray J McDonald

4

2

 SIA A380 LONDON STAKES,  RESTRICTED MAIDEN - 1200M

11

 Bullet Fly D Kok Azhar

1

7

 Smart Idea B Marsh J Moreira

2

1

 Select Gathering M Walker O Bosson

3

9

 Paragon Angel S Burridge Kellady

4

3

 SIA A380 TOKYO STAKES,  NOVICE - 1600M

7

 Bigdinero O'Hara Suhaimi

1

14

 Got Gold C Brown D Beasley

2

6

 Chinese Culture S Baertschiger J Powell

3

12

 Sebastien S Gray J Moreira

4

4

 SIA A380 PARIS STAKES,  CLASS 4 - 1800M

10

 Just Dashing C Brown D Beasley

1

2

 Steadfast Warrior C Brown J McDonald

2

14

 Sky Protege Khoo Zaki

3

7

 Touch The Line D Hill J Verenzuela

4

5

 SIA A380 HONG KONG STAKES,  NOVICE - 1200M

4

 Golden Curl S Gray J McDonald

1

12

 Fong Su Z L Mok T Affandi

2

10

 Prime Mover Z L Mok S Baster

3

8

 Super Ahead B Marsh O Bosson

4

6

 SIA A380 MELBOURNE STAKES,  CLASS 3 - 1600M

3

 John Of Arch D Hill G Cheyne

1

12

 Foxtrot Hotel C Brown D Beasley

2

1

 Knight Spirit S Baertschiger J Powell

3

4

 Martincho Cat P Shaw B Vorster

4

7

 SIA A380 ZURRICH STAKES,  CLASS 2 - 1400M

7

 Speed Cat H W Tan J Powell

1

3

 Masthead M Freedman J Moreira

2

9

 Meteor Mike D Hill Chavez

3

6

 Maurice Utrillo P Shaw G Cheyne

4

8

 SIA A380 LOS ANGELES STAKES,  OPEN - 1600M

8

 Arowana Dot Com D Koh J Moreira

1

4

 Fatkid H K Tan Chavez

2

12

 Silveron Wings K C Yeoh I Santana

3

6

 Keep Away H Takaoka Sam

4

9

 KRISFLYER INTERNATIONAL SPRINT (G1) - 1200M

5

 Ato P Shaw B Vorster

1

8

 Mr Big M Freedman S Baster

2

4

 Secret Asset H Chapple-Hyam G Baker

3

2

 Captain Obvious S Burridge Chavez

4

10

 SINGAPORE AIRLINES INTERNATIONAL CUP (G1) - 2000M

6

 Chinchon C Laffon-Parias O Doleuze

1

8

 Zaidan J Moore J McDonald

2

11

 El Dorado H Takaoka A Munro

3

2

 Zazou W Hickst A Suborics

4

11

 SIA A380 NEW YORK STAKES,  CLASS 3 - 1200M

9

 King Empire L Dragon G Cheyne

1

12

 Fat King H K Tan Zaki

2

4

 Running Tall P Shaw B Vorster

3

3

 Damo P Shaw F Coetzee

4