New Zealand Two-Year-Old Confirms Dominance

The New Zealand flag was flying high in Singapore last night with War Affair (NZ) confirming his status as Singapore’s best two-year-old, winning the S$200,000 Sgp-2 Singapore TC Juvenile Championship Stakes (1200m) at Kranji.

The Kiwi connection was further emphasised with New Zealander Mark Walker, who recently celebrated 1000 career winners, training War Affair. The race provided NZB with a notable quinella with second placegetter Desert Fox a graduate of the same 2012 Karaka Premier Sale as War Affair.

War Affair (NZ) wining the Sgp-2 Singapore TC Juvenile Championship Stakes at Kranji. Photo Courtesy of SJC.

War Affair was a well backed favourite for the race off the back of his last start win in the Spg-2 Aushorse Golden Horseshoe Stakes and cemented his place as the leading two-year-old in Singapore this season by taking out a second successive black-type race.

Ridden by top Singapore jockey Joao Moreira, War Affair was positioned in the box seat behind the leader. Moreira waited patiently for a split to appear between the leaders before navigating War Affair to the lead. Desert Fox, who was held up for much of the straight, followed War Affair through the gap and came with a strong late charge but War Affair hung on to win by a head in a time of 1.10.29.

Trainer Mark Walker was impressed with the win and is excited by what the future holds for the young gelding.

“He is a really nice natured horse with plenty of scope about him and there is a lot to look forward to,” said Walker. “He is only going to improve on what he has been doing at two and will continue to improve as a three-year-old.”

War Affair is likely to target Singapore’s Three-Year-Old Series, a lucrative three race series starting in September.

“He should only get better as he steps up in distance to 1400 and 1600 metres and even beyond that,” commented Walker.

War Affair was beaten on debut when running fourth but has since recorded wins in his subsequent three starts including last night’s performance. He has earned S$333,382 from his four raceday appearances.

Bred in New Zealand by Trelawney Stud, War Affair was purchased by Te Akau Racing’s manager David Ellis at the Karaka 2012 Premier Sale for $70,000 from the draft of Trelawney Stud. Desert Fox was offered by Ascot Farm at the Karaka 2012 Premier Sale and was purchased by Michael Freedman/Michael Wallace Bloodstock for $120,000. War Affair is owned by the Warplan Racing Stable.

War Affair is by the leading sire in New Zealand this season O’Reilly and is out of the American mare Kristique (Kris S). The second dam of War Affair, Nastique (Naskra), was a four-time Group 1 winner in America and is the dam of two stakes winners with a host of other black-type performers appearing prominently in the pedigree.

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