Debt Collector (NZ) Shines Again in Singapore

Throughout his outstanding three-year-old campaign, Debt Collector (NZ) (Thorn Park) was a great advertisement for the opportunities available at Karaka. On Sunday he began his four-year-old campaign and continued in the same vein, scoring a brilliant win in the S$200,000 Sgp-3 Jumbo Jet Trophy (1400m) at Kranji.

Purchased at the Select Sale for $30,000 and then the Ready to Run Sale for $120,000, Debt Collector established himself as one of Singapore's top three-year-olds with four wins including fast-finishing victories in the Sgp-2 Three-Year-Old Classic (1400m) and Sgp-1 Singapore Guineas (1600m).

It was more of the same in Sunday’s resuming run as Debt Collector flew home from well off the pace to beat fellow Karaka graduate Nova Strike (NZ) (Red Giant) in an exciting finish.

Ridden by Michael Rodd, Debt Collector came from last and swooped down the outside to challenge Nova Strike inside the last 150 metres. Nova Strike kicked back, and Debt Collector drifted sideways towards the stands, but the Cliff Brown-trained Debt Collector lunged for the line and scored by a nose.

“It’s remarkable – I guess you can say it was another spine-tingling win,” Rodd said. “He was not great early. He always takes a while to warm up in the first furlong. But he’s such a good horse that has so much strength and he started to let down very well once I went for him.

“But then he started to feel the ground as it had dried out late by then. I thought he might blow out first-up. He then started to shift out. He felt like his legs were not going but his head was, but luckily we made it right on the line. That win is even more amazing given the fact he was running in a very serious field today.”

Brown, who secured Debt Collector from the draft of Prima Park at the 2014 Ready To Run Sale, says Debt Collector is among the best horses he has ever trained.

“It was an incredible win, and honestly I would have been happy if he had run third,” he said. “He also defied the way the track has been playing when he came out wide. This horse can certainly do things other horses cannot.

“Zac Spirit was a great horse, but this one has to be up there with the best.”

Bred by Windsor Park Stud, Debt Collector is out of the stakes-placed In The Wings mare Prompt Payment.

Debt Collector has now won five of his eight starts and more than S$640,000 in prize-money.

Seven of the eleven races run at Kranji on Sunday were won by NZB Graduates.

The 2016 edition of NZB's Ready to Run Sale of 2YOs will be held at Karaka on the 16 & 17 November. Breeze Ups are being held at Te Rapa Racecourse on 17 & 18 October.