KING ARTHUR makes it back to back wins in Singapore

KING ARTHUR took no prisoners on the Opening Day of the Singapore Turf Club’s 2022 season when scorching to a win in the Class 4 1000m Polytrack event, making it back to back wins and recording his 3rd Singapore win in the process. The 4yo son of I Am Invincible out of Pentasia (by Pentire) had drawn the outside barrier which had the potential to make things tricky for him, but, in the hands of former Singapore Champion Apprentice rider Shafiq Rusof, he flew the gates and was soon in the lead. Kept wide on the rain affected surface by Shafiq, he turned for home with a narow margin, found a kick and under a strong hands and heels ride, went to the line with 1.3 lengths to spare over the 2nd placed Rocketship, in the smart time of 58.93 sec.

Click HERE to see the race replay

King Arthur’s victory also handed Singapore Trainer Donna Logan her first winner as Head Trainer for the powerful Te Akau Racing operation, on her very first day in that role, having been appointed in December after Mark Walker’s relocation back to New Zealand to take up the reins as Head Trainer in New Zealand – this due to the current NZ Trainer, Jamie Richards, heading to Hong Kong in the Autumn to join the training ranks of the Hong Kong Jockey Club.

Donna Logan was ecstatic after King Arthur’s victory; “That was a very strong win today, it was always going to be challenging for him to overcome the wide barrier draw, but he simply flew the gates and was ridden perfectly by Shafiq – he has always been a horse who has got himself a bit worked up pre race, but he was very calm and relaxed today in the parade ring – I think he has a bright future ahead of him in Singapore. And a great personal thrill for me to train a winner on Opening Day of the season on my first day as Trainer for Te Akau Racing. Also special for King Arthur to be raced by the Fortuna NZ Stable here in Singapore – they had an execellent seaon in 2020 with 19 winners in total and John Galvin has put together a very strong stable here in Singapore for Fortuna and its clients.”

“King Arthur” – Singapore Win #3 – 2nd January 2022

Fortuna boss, John Galvin, watching from his Hamilton home in New Zealand was over the moon with the result “Look, we were expecting a strong run as he was a very good last start winner in this grade, however the outside draw had the potential to be tricky and the heavy rain had made the track very sticky, so we weren’t quite sure what we were going to get, but King Arthur simply flew the gates and Shafiq rode him perfectly from there. Great to see Shafiq get another win in the Fortuna silks – he and I go back a long way with many winners together in Singapore and of course with his riding stint in NZ in 2018, he rode Melody Belle to win 3 times, including two Group One wins on her. And I an rapt for Donna Logan – she has been thrust into the hot seat at the helm of Te Akau Racing and she has got her new role off to a flying start. Kudos to Mark Walker also for nurturing King Arthur along in such a professional manner – he has not been the easiest horse to deal with”

Shafiq Rusof returns to scale on King Arthur

KING ARTHUR was originally raced in Australia as Tintagel by clients of the Bjorn Baker Stable, but after they decided to put the horse on the market, he was purchased by John Galvin out of the October 2020 Inglis Digital Sale for A$25,000 and is raced by the Fortuna King Arthur Syndicate, an ownership group of 31 individuals from New Zealand, Australia and Malaysia. From 11 starts in Singapore, he has now accumulated S$103,000 with 3 wins and 6 minor placings