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Minister takes charge in $1m Kranji Mile

A'isisuhairi Kasim-ridden 5YO US-bred gives Kiwi trainer her first Singapore Group success

After just over two years since relocating from her native New Zealand, trainer Donna Logan savoured her first Group success at Kranji on Saturday.

It was all thanks a stable transfer, Minister, in the $1 million Group 1 Kranji Mile, which was run behind closed doors and without foreign participation for the second year because of the Covid-19 pandemic.

The Thai-owned King Power Stable's American-bred had nine starts for three wins, three seconds (two in Group 1) and a third (in Group 1) under Lee Freedman but joined Logan's yard after Freedman returned to Australia in March.

After a four-month break, the bay gelding had two starts - a smack-up 10th over 1,200m and a fourth over 1,600m - under Logan, before giving the trainer her overdue first "black type" victory in Singapore.

Ridden by jockey A'isisuhairi, Minister jumped well from Gate 14, the third-widest barrier.

The Kelantan-born rider, affectionately know as Harry at Kranji, did not want to be caught in a speed duel early. He relaxed his mount, who dropped back to further back than midfield.

Jockey Danny Beasley steered Group 1 Lion City Cup winner Lim's Lightning past the leader Fame Star on straightening.

He kicked clear and was shouted the winner. But Minister produced a strong run to beat him by a head in 1min 34.38sec to pay $92 for a win.

Jockey Wong Chin Chuen drove Lion City Cup runner-up Rocket Star up to finish third, just a neck away.

For Logan, Minister's major success was kind of her day of redemption.

"With Minister, I had a hunger to prove something. I wanted this win more than anything," said Logan, who trained many Group winners back home and in Australia.

"I've heard people saying I couldn't train because I was a woman and all that.

"But the truth of the matter is a good trainer needs to have good animals to train. If they don't have the stock, they won't set the world on fire.

"For a change, I had the cattle to win a Group race today, and I think I showed today I was capable of training one.

"You can only do the right thing, and this horse has improved tenfold to become the best horse in my stable for quite some time."

While her trophy cabinet is already replete with marquee wins like the 2013 Group 1 New Zealand Derby with Habibi, the 2014 Group 1 Australian Oaks with Rising Romance, the 2015 Group 1 Rosehill Guineas with Volkstok'n'barrell, among others, the Kranji Mile will always hold a special place in her heart.

"Like I said, I was very hungry for that win. But this win also ranks high with the other big wins because it's been a long time coming, especially as it's an overseas Group 1," she said.

"I've won the Oaks in Sydney and the New Zealand Derby. The overseas Group 1s are always harder to win and the most thrilling."

HORSE RACING