Imposing Victory by Goliath (NZ)

The imposing figure of Kiwi-bred galloper Goliath (NZ) (Darci Brahma) powered to victory in the Sgp-3 $150,000 Marsling Classic Stakes 1800m on the polytrack at Kranji on Sunday night.

Goliath (NZ) wins the Sgp-3 Marsling Classic Stakes at Kranji.  Photo courtesy of STC.

The big son of Darci Brahma was a winner over the same distance two starts ago also on the Polytrack for trainer Steven Burridge.

The Karaka Premier Sale graduate was allowed to settle behind mid-field for leading rider Corey Brown, who was successful the previous day on fellow Karaka Premier Sale graduate Entirely Platinum in the Group 3 Sky High Stakes in Sydney.

The four-year-old gelding loomed up to the leaders entering the home straight with his stablemate Wild Geese (Exceed and Excel) and the pair drew away to fight out the race. Goliath was able to assert his superiority in the concluding stages to claim victory by one-length over Wild Geese with Tropaios (Excellent Art) in third.

“The horse has been a ploytrack specialist, on the grass he doesn’t seem to fire,” commented Burridge. “He doesn’t seem to handle the grass very well, he jars up but handles the polytrack and is racing very well.

“He isn’t a speed horse, he is a middle distance horse and has been a very promising horse. He is about 16.3 hands so is a pretty big horse but he is not too heavy and is quite athletic for a big horse.

“I am going to give him a break now because there is no polytrack racing in that class for him for two months. He has been up for a while now so given the opportunity I will give him a bit of a break, especially because he doesn’t handle the grass.”

Yesterday’s win was the seventh in the career of Goliath, all have been on the polytrack and Brown has ridden him in six of his seven wins. The gelding has earned just under S$400,000 for his owners the Jupiter Stable.

Bred by Mrs H G & W G Bax & Go Bloodstock New Zealand Ltd, Goliath is out of French mare Beautiful Reward (Diesis) who is a half-sister to stakes winner Toto Le Heros (Saumarez) and is from the family of Group 1 winners Elnadim (Danzig) and Mehthaaf (Nureyev).

Goliath was purchased for $70,000 at the 2011 Karaka Premier Sale from Blandford Lodge.

There were three other wins last night at Singapore by graduates of New Zealand Bloodstock sales with Ready to Run graduate Kingsley (NZ) (Darci Brahma), National Weanling Sale graduate Urban Legend (NZ) (Traditionally) and Select Sale graduate Wonderful Prince (NZ) (Elusive City) all triumphant.