God’s Gift (NZ) (Haradasun) opened his account with a crushing win in the $75,000 Restricted Maiden race over 1600m at Kranji on Sunday.
Among one of the early backmarkers after he was snagged back at the rear, the Haradasun three-year-old, who was sent out as the $16 second favourite, started to improve noticeably from the half-mile, navigating through the bunched-up pack to put paid to his 11 rivals with a devastating acceleration.
Favourite Mighty Vain (Safeguard) came off a cosier run in the box seat, but could not muster an answer when God’s Gift, under a confident ride by Alysha Collett, zipped past to go and assert his clear superiority down the home straight.
Winning trainer Donna Logan couldn’t have been greeted by a nicer gift indeed after returning from a horse-shopping trip back home at the Karaka Yearling Sales.
“It’s a nice welcome-back present. I just came from New Zealand where I bought a couple to race back home first, and then they might end up here,” the Kiwi handler said.
“This horse (God’s Gift) has been knocking on the door and over the mile today, he was too good. I was a little bit concerned by the rain, I was not sure if the track would affect him.
“He also got back further than I wanted, but he obviously handled the track well. He’s a horse I bought at the New Zealand Ready to Run Sale and was not disgraced in his runs thus far.
“He’s looking for the mile and even further now. He’d be a good middle-distance performer.”
Unplaced at his first two runs over 1200m last season, God’s Gift started to show marked improvement when he was lengthened up over more ground.
He ran on for second in a Restricted Maiden race over 1400m at his last start in 2019 before producing the same nice closing sectionals at his last start when rising to the mile. Collett was in the irons for the second time that day (she rode him at his unplaced debut) and was confident the extra furlong would be a welcome boon on Sunday.
“Originally, the plan was to be more forward from the sticky gate (11), but there was a lot of pressure from the inside. So, I decided to ride him more quietly and then just ride him for luck,” Collett said.
“The 1400m was too short for him at his last run; he was looking for the mile. Even though we were further back than we wanted, I knew I had them covered when we came within two lengths of the leaders at the home turn.”
