Maxima in maximum control first-up
Globetrotting German-bred is a work in progress, says trainer Ricardo Le Grange
Judging from the way he won first-up at Kranji on Sunday, there is every reason to believe that Maxima is a horse going places.
He was still green – got his head up while racing keenly in the backstraight – but the Edmond Yue-owned six-year-old German-bred packed a punch when asked by jockey Bernardo Pinheiro.
Racing in the same colours as reigning Singapore Gold Cup winner Hongkong Great, the Ricardo Le Grange-trained chestnut gelding tracked Pacfic MV (Vlad Duric) until the home straight.
Once Pinheiro gave a few reminders of the whip, Maxima lengthened like a good horse to score by 1¼ lengths in 1min 11.22sec in the $50,000 Class 4 race over the Polytrack 1,200m.
Singapore is the fourth country that Maxima is racing in.
He was unbeaten three times as a juvenile in France, won his only start in England and then had 13 starts in Hong Kong for four placings before joining Le Grange’s yard.
“He’s a work in progress, for sure,” said the South African trainer.
“The fact he did it tough today but still won was an amazing effort. We haven’t had him for long, so I feel that there is a lot more to come from this horse as we learn more about him.
“I’m thankful for the opportunity from Mr Yue. He was an expensive purchase and had his issues in Hong Kong, so to get him to win early was very rewarding.
“The day he walked into the stable, he looked like he loved the place. But he was of high maintenance, so all the staff had been very hands on in keeping him happy.
“(Apprentice jockey) Rozlan (Nazam) rode him every day and he had been extremely patient. He’s never been easy, so it’s been a real team effort.
“But Maxima also improved every morning. We threw a lot at him and he responded, that’s why he got to the races so soon.
“He came with a reputation and he’s relatively lightly raced, so it’s exciting going forward.”
Although he had not ridden Maxima before, Pinheiro was confident of a good showing.
“He trialled well with Rozlan and, when I helped Ricardo in the morning, I followed the horse. I also saw his races in Hong Kong, so I was pretty confident.
“He had a good draw, jumped well and showed a bit of speed. I was happy to sit off the pace and I was on the bit. Once I asked him in the straight, he responded very well. He’ll improve from here.”
Maxima collected $26,775 for Yue from his win on Sunday.
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