Sunday, 21 January 2018: Trainer Ricardo Le Grange was all smiles and thankful to the Singapore Turf Club after he saddled the forecast with Mr Fantastic and Majestic Moments in the $125,000 Kranji Stakes A Division 1 race over 1400m on Friday night.

Mr Fantastic winning the KRANJI STAKES A

The South African handler fielded two runners apiece in the two Kranji Stakes A races over 1400m carded and could not have been happier with the results. Iron Man (Barend Vorster) ran second to Nova Strike (Troy See) (see other report) in the Division 2 race and two events later, his duo filled the first two berths.


At the 200m, either horse could win with Mr Fantastic (Vorster) knuckling down to the task as he hit the front off a one-out one-back spot while Majestic Moments (Vlad Duric) was motoring his way on the inside after a weaving run from midfield.

In the end, it was Mr Fantastic  who got the wood, arguably courtesy of his better fitness level over his resuming stablemate (since his fourth to Gilt Complex in the Dester Singapore Gold Cup in November) with three-quarter length separating the pair.


Considered as the testing material, bold frontrunner Eclipse Splash was certainly not disgraced. He led out for A’Isisuhairi Kasim as expected and though he came under siege in the run to the line, he held on for dear life for as long as he could but the two Le Grange horses were just a touch too classy for him.



The Showcasing four-year-old held on gamely for third place another half-a-length away.



The other run of note came from Singapore Gold Cup winner Gilt Complex (Michael Rodd) who had to put up with a topweight of 59.5kgs and a trip considered too sharp for him, but still ran on for a cracking fourth place another neck away, which his trainer Cliff Brown will obviously welcome as the perfect prep run before his forthcoming Dubai adventure.



A South African-bred six-year-old by Jet Master, Mr Fantastic ($39) clocked 1min 22.32secs for the 1400m on the Long Course and has taken his handy record to eight wins and 11 placings from 33 starts for prizemoney in excess of $560,000 for the Avengers Stable.



“First off, I’d like to say that in my 17 years in Singapore, I’ve never seen two Divisions of a Kranji Stakes A race being run on the same day,” said Le Grange.



“Hats off to the Singapore Turf Club and all the people involved. It’s a great step in the right direction.



“It’s a dream to own and train the first two horses in that race. Take nothing away from Majestic Moments, he’s done us proud, but obviously 1400m is a bit short for him and the other horse (Mr Fantastic) was fitter.



“Mr Fantastic was unlucky in the New Year Cup, he had a wide draw. But he is a nice South African-bred by Jet Master and he deserved tonight’s win.”



Vorster was also very pleased with Mr Fantastic’s late push to the line as he looked like he was making heavy weather of it halfway up the home straight.



“He’s such a solid genuine type. He probably needed the run in the New Year Cup on Polytrack, but back over 1400m, he was back in his element,” said the South African jockey.



“I wanted to sit second behind Harry (Eclipse Splash) and got one back further than I wanted. At the 200m, he was not quickening as I wanted and I just rode him hands and heels.



“He kept grinding away and was very brave to the line.”