Better Than Ever Back to his Winning Best

Former Singapore star Better Than Ever (French Deputy x Songfest) took his first New Zealand victory at Saturday’s Awapuni meeting with a commanding win in the $85,000 Group 2 Lawnmaster Awapuni Gold Cup (2000m).

Better Than Ever earned a star following in Singapore going unbeaten in 12 starts, including all three legs of the 2010 Singapore 3YO Triple Crown, and his Group 2 win brought up a stakes double at Saturday’s meeting for his trainer Jason Bridgman.

Better Than Ever has now won over $3.1 million in stakes

Saturday’s race was Better Than Ever’s fifth in New Zealand with his previous starts seeing him place in the Group 3 Challenge Stakes, Group 1 Haunui Farm WFA Classic, and Group 1 New Zealand Stakes.

His jockey Hayden Tinsley made sure he would end that run of placings, racing Better Than Ever on the pace before slipping to a two length lead at the top of the straight where he kept the son of French Deputy racing powerfully to the line for a half-neck win.

“He is now in the paddock at Te Akau spelling ahead of the spring,” commented Te Akau Principle David Ellis.

“We will aim him at the Foxbridge Plate before the Triple Crown at Hawke’s Bay.

“We had a good weekend with his family as his half-brother, Om, won his first race in Singapore on Sunday night. He was one of four winners for us in Singapore over the weekend so we have had a great few days on the track.”

Better Than Ever is raced by prominent Singapore owner Tang Weng Fei and was sent to race in New Zealand last year. A consistent performer, Saturday’s win was the 17th of his 31 start career and has taken his stakes earnings to over $3.1 million.

Bred and sold by Graham and Helen-Gaye Bax’s Blandford Lodge in Matamata, Better Than Ever was purchased by Singapore-based trainer Laurie Laxon at the 2008 Karaka Premier Sale for $80,000.