Gray shoots back to Top 5

A treble not only saw a hitherto-subdued Stephen Gray bounce back with the training honours on Saturday, but also vaulted him up the log by as many as 10 spots.

Ranked a lowly 14th heading into the meeting, the New Zealand-born trainer even temporarily leapfrogged to second spot after Bransom ($20), Billy Elliot ($30) and April ($14) saluted.

The treble doubled his score to six winners in one fell swoop.

But trainers Jason Lim and Tim Fitzsimmons struck late with Super Salute and Gold Ten Sixty-One in the last two events respectively on the 12-race programme to push Gray back down to fourth place instead.

A perennial top 10 finisher, the multiple Group 1-winning trainer welcomed the change of fortunes.

“It’s been hard work to keep the stable going, especially young horses. But, with (assistant trainer) Saimee Jumaat and my staff, we have kept it going,” said Gray, who is at his 24th year and is, after Michael Clements, the longest-standing expatriate trainer in Singapore.

“Saimee has been a big asset, he’s a good horseman. I actually pinched myself when he came to me and asked me for a job.

“We don’t have a big team like we used to, but horses are running well at a place strike rate of 42 per cent. We had a nice team today – and three of them won – happy days.”

Trebles, or even four-timers, were once common for Gray, but not quite in the last couple of seasons. Covid-19 hit hard which led to a shrinking string of horses.

He last saddled a hat-trick on Jan 22, 2022 – with Beat The Light, Ksatria and, by coincidence, Billy Elliot.

A six-year-old by Per Incanto, Billy Elliot will not scale the heights reached by his past greats like Lim’s Cruiser and Emperor Max.

But, with four wins and three placings from 20 starts and stakes just a tick shy of the $100,000 mark for good friend Paul Hickman, Billy Elliot is the bread-and-butter horse Gray wished he had a few more under his barn roof.

Therein lies the problem. Gray bemoaned the bygone days of such honest money-spinners filling their owners with joy and excitement, and their bank accounts.

But he has, of late, seen a glimmer of hope which might bring the likes of Hickman back to the fold.

“I’ve lost a lot of good owners, or some have cut back, like Paul, who has been a big supporter of ours and Singapore racing,” he said.

“He’s got a couple of young ones in Australia. But, until the club shows the way, why should he buy horses to race here?

“But the recent employment of some racing professionals at the club is a positive move in the right direction. There’s some hope.

“We had three tough years during Covid-19. But we don’t have any reason not to do well any more, this year will be very critical.”

The Singapore Turf Club recruited Dayle Brown as its new chief racing officer in September, while another Australian, Zane Turner, recently joined as assistant vice president (racing support).

Other initiatives include the reinstatement of 10 Group races, doubling the previous line-up to 20, and four race series.

One series that Gray is particularly happy to see back is the Singapore Three-Year-Old Challenge.

This is especially so as it is right up the alley of two of his three Saturday winners – Bransom, a son of Brazen Beau, and April, who, although by Swiss Ace, is a stayer in the making.

“Bransom is a nice horse. He drew wide, and we don’t know what can happen, so he had to go forward,” he said.

“He was able to get across. They were coming at him, but he kicked on.

“He’s a fast horse and he’s done a good job to go all the way. We’ll probably run him in the first leg (Sprint).

“April was a good buy at a private sale at the paddock. It was a bit short at his first run.

“He travelled wide today, but it wasn’t a strong field. The whole idea was to give him confidence.

“He’s got a staying future here. He will head towards the 1,400m leg (Classic) of the 3YO races.

“He’ll win a nice mile and 2,000m race here. I’m really appreciative of the owners (Falcon Racing Stable) giving me a nice horse. They’ve got a couple of new ones.”

As for Billy Elliot, his Saturday Class 5 win would suggest fewer upsides – but Gray was glad he has found a new string to his bow.

“He’s been a bit disappointing. So we gave him a break,” he said.

“He’s never run in a Polytrack race, but Saimee said he goes well in his trials on Poly.

“We thought we’d try, but he had to be fit to run on Polytrack. He seems to like it.

“He probably found it a bit easier as well. He’s no superstar, but he has paid his way.”