Stepitup wins Raffles Cup in dramatic fashion

SINGAPORE:  Oct 25, 2015
 
STEPITUP notches his 10th group win in the Raffles Cup - SNTC photo

STEPITUP emerged from the jaws of defeat to win the S$500,000 Raffles Cup in his third attempt at the 1800m Group 1 event at Kranji here today, indicating that he will be hard to beat in the Singapore Gold in three weeks' time even though he will be the top weight in the event.

Buffeted between runners half-way down the home stretch and seemingly in a hopeless position, Michael Rodd managed to switch out for a run in the nick of time and the Australia gelding 'flew' home to beat the front-running FASTNET DRAGON by half-a-length.

The withdrawal of SPALATO (irregular blood count) robbed the Raffles Cup of some colour but there's no denying STEPITUP has improved by leaps and bounds since coming under the charge of Laurie Laxon.

STEPITUP was the champion three-year-old two years ago when he made a clean sweep of the Three-Year-Old series but played second fiddle to SPALATO as a four-year-old.

STEPITUP's first outing for Laxon was third placing in the Raffles Cup last year but has picked up six wins since, including five group races. He also won the Kranji Mile last start and will complete a clean sweep of the Triple Crown series if he wins the Gold Cup in which he finished eighth to QUECHUA last year.

STEPITUP has now won 15 races (10 at group level) from 33 starts, earning more than S$2.5mil in prizemoney.

RESULTS AT A GLANCE:   Tote No / Horse / Trainer / Jockey / Position
 

 

 WAR AFFAIR 2014 STAKES

1

 KRANJI STAKES D, DIV 2 - 1400M
4 HORSE WARRIOR M Freedman MM Firdaus

1
  (5 b.nz.g Keeper - Inshelucky by Volksraad)  
12 Dragon M Yusof T See

2
7  Sacred Spin M Walker M Nunes

3
10 Perfect Challenger HW Tan Chavez

4
 

 

 SUPER NINETYSEVEN 2013 STAKES

2

 RESTRICTED MAIDEN - 1200M
2 ELISE Khoo Saifudin

1
  (3 b.nz.g Faltaat - Tongariro by Nadeem)  
13 O'What A Feeling S Baertschiger Kellady

2
10 Lucky Command M Freedman CW Brown

3
5 Grey Gatsby P Shaw B Vorster

4
 

 

 FLAX 2012 STAKES

3

 CLASS 4, DIV 1 - 1200M
8 RAZZOSTELLA S Baertschiger Kellady

1
(4 b.a.g Written Tycoon - Classic Surge by Carnegie)
1 Nova Strike HW Tan R Shafiq

2
7 Mr Try Khoo Sam

3
6 Kirkus M Clements A Da Silva

4
 

 

 ALWAYS CERTAIN 2011 STAKES

4

 KRANJI STAKES D, DIV 1 - 1400M
3 NINETYSEVENEMPEROR Khoo K A'Isisuhairi

1
  (4 b.nz.g Thorn Park - L'Accord by Golan)  
10 Lucky Coin B Dean B Vorster

2
1 Idyllic Scenery M Walker M Nunes

3
2 Fast Edition S Burridge T Bell

4
 

 

 EL DORADO CLASSIC

5

 SNGAPORE GROUP 3 - 2200M
9 SEBROSE M Walker T Bell

1
  (5 ch.a.g Sebring - Bramble Rose by Shinko King)  
7 Order Of The Sun D Koh Woodworth

2
10 Mr Spielberg L Laxon M Nunes

3
2 Cooptado P Shaw J Powell

4
 

 

 BETTER THAN EVER 2010 STAKES

6

 KRANJI STAKES B - 1200M
3 SOUTHERN BOSS D Koh J See

1
  (6 b/br.a.g Bletchley Park - Kopek by Fasliyev)  
2 Indian Jade M Walker R Shafiq

2
6 Von Krumm S Baertschiger Kellady

3
5 Lim's Rally S Burridge Soo

4
 

 

 CHEYENNE 2009 STAKES

7

 CLASS 4, DIV 2 - 1200M
1 NOVA WARRIOR HW Tan R Shafiq

1
  (4 br.nz.g Bachelor Duke - Muppy by Snaadee)  
2 Hydro  M Freedman CW Brown

2
4 Lincoln's Excuse S Baertschiger J Powell

3
3 Strling L Laxon M Nunes

4
 

 

 CHEVRON 2008 STAKES

8

 NOVICE - 1200M
4 MANGATOETOENUI L Laxon  M Rodd

1
  (4 b.nz.m Battle Paint - Scorched Silk by Lord Ballina)  
9 Peer Gynt M Clements A Da Silva

2
6 Special ID HK Tan M Ewe

3
1 Time Odyssey P Shaw B Vorster

4
 

 

 RAFFLES CUP

9

 SINGAPORE GROUP 1 - 1800M
2 STEPITUP L Laxon M Rodd

1
  (6 b.a.g Hussonet - Ain't Seen Nothin' by Nothin' Leica Dane)  
6 Fastnet Dragon Khoo A Munro

2
3 Quechua P Shaw CW Brown

3
7 Hughsy D Hill CC Wong

4
 

 

 LIM'S OBJECTIVE 2007 STAKES

10

 KRANJI STAKES C - 1400M
2 LASER STORM HW Tan R Shafiq

1
  (5 b.nz.g Lucky Owners - Miss Ivanovic by Reenact)  
1 Best Tothelign S Baertschiger Y Salim

2
7 Storm Troops P Shaw N Juglall

3
9 Poseidon C Brown Woodworth

4
 

 

 LIM'S CLASSIC 2006 STAKES

11

 CLASS 4 - 1600M
1 GILT COMPLEX O'Hara CC Wong

1
  (4 b.nz.g Gold Centre - San Ysabeel by abeel)  
7 Iking M Walker R Shafiq

2
5 Free Happy M Walker M Nunes

3
14 Zipangu H Takaoka A Munro

4