All-the-way win by Bahana in Gold Cup

SINGAPORE:  Nov 20, 2016
 
BAHANA (Craig Williams) winning the Gold Cup with something in hand
- SNTC photo
 

Trainer Stephen Gray won his first Singapore Gold Cup when BAHANA made all the running to claim the S$1,350,000 2200m handicap event at Kranji here today.

The victory was possible thanks to a masterly ride by Craig Williams, but the New Zealander was also thankful to Vlad Duric who recommended last season's Melbourne champion jockey for the gelding.

Duric had partnered the New Zealand gelding in his last two wins, including the El Edorado Classic (2200m) just last month but could not make the alloted weight of 50.5kg on BAHANA.

Duric himself still had a chance of winning the blue riband event on the favourite MR SPIELBERG but in the end it was Williams who ended up holding the trophy.

"It’s my good friend Vlad who told me about that lightweight ride in the Gold Cup when he came to Melbourne to ride during the Spring Carnival," said Williams. "I watched all the replays of his races and walked the track this morning."

BAHANA, purchased at the Ready To Run sale for NZ$100,000, has now won seven times in 13 starts and brought his earnings to just over the S$1mil mark.

It was a superb weekend for Gray who also saddled LIM'S CRUISER  to win the Group 3 EW Barker Trophy on Friday night.

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

1

 KRANJI STAKES D - 1400M
6 LUCKY STRIDE CT Kuah D David

1
  (3 ch.am.g Giant's Causeway - Go Go by Falstaff)  
14 Bimala D Hill CC Wong

2
9 Mr Fatkid C Brown M Rodd

3
13 High Council D Meagher O Placais

4
 

2

 INITIATION - 1400M
1 MR LEWIS L Laxon V Duric

1
  (4 b.nz.g Darci Brahma - Ruby Rouge by Red Ransom)  
3 Peach Bowl S Burridge G Boss

2
6 Bayu S Gray D Beasley

3
2 Ground Control M Clements M Rodd

4
 

3

 BENCHMARK 67, DIV 2 - 1400M
7 BATTLE OF TROY D Koh CC Wong

1
  (4 b.a.g Flying Spur - La Bamba by Last Tycoon)  
5 Groenewegen C Brown CW Brown

2
4 B'Nevagivup S Gray Azhar

3
9 Savage Storm ZL Mok D David

4
 

4

 CLASS 3 - 1200M
6 GRAND CROSS J Peters R Shafiq

1
  (4 b.a.g Fastnet Rock - Defiant Dame by More Than Ready)  
8 Run It Twice S Burridge H Syafiq

2
7 Luminiff Lad S Burridge G Boss

3
1 Golden Curl S Gray I Amirul

4
 

5

 CLASS 4, DIV 2 - 1200M
12 NOBLE LIAISON J Peters D Beasley

1
  (4 b.nz.g Darci Brahma - Party Royal by King's Chapel)  
2 Elusive Emperor P Shaw B Vorster

2
3 Queen Roulette Khoo N Juglall

3
5 Waipakihi L Laxon V Duric

4
 

6

 KRANJI STAKES C - 2200M
2 GILT COMPLEX C Brown CW Brown

1
  (5 b.nz.g Gold Centre - San Ysabeel by Zabeel)  
4 Magstock C Brown M Rodd

2
1 Guru-Guru D Koh CC Wong

3
6 Song To The Moon P Shaw N Juglall

4
 

7

 BENCHMARK 67, DIV 1 - 1400M
1 ELITE EXCALIBUR S Burridge M Rodd

1
  (4 b.a.g Fastnet Rock - Romantic River by Irish River)  
10 Absolute Miracle HW Tan D Beasley

2
5 Optimus S Gray C Williams

3
7 Preditor S Baertschiger J Powell

4
 

8

 KRANJI STAKES A - 1200M
9 POSEIDON C Brown CC Wong

1
  (5 b.nz.g Gold Centre - Waikiki Princess by Turtle Island)  
8 Hip Hop Hooray D Kok G Boss

2
2 Faaltless S Baertschiger J Powell

3
1 Wimbledon J Peters CW Brown

4
 

9

 BENCHMARK 67 - 1600M
8 LIM'S SAMURAI L Laxon D Beasley

1
  (3 b.j.g Samurai Heart - Toho Queen by Mejiro McQueen)  
12 Elite Beast C Brown A Munro

2
2 Robin Hood HW Tan O Placais

3
4 Kate's Keeper S Gray C Williams

4
 

10

 DEXTER SINGAPORE GOLD CUP
SINGAPORE GROUP - 2200M
9 BAHANA S Gray C Williams

1
(5 b.nz.g Elusive City - Khales by Don Eduardo)
8 Time Odyssey P Shaw Chavez

2
7 Blue Swede S Baertschiger Kellady

3
12 Newlands S Gray D Johnson

4
 

11

 CLASS 4, DIV 1 - 1200M
11 MACARTHUR J Peters V Duric

1
  (3 br.a.g Charge Forward - Mozambique by Redoute's Choice)  
4 Lim's Knight M Walker Y Salim

2
5 Be Bold C Brown M Rodd

3
1 Aramco S Baertschiger J Powell

4