Cooptado Up in Singapore Gold Cup

Much of the discussion heading into Sunday’s Longines Singapore Gold Cup, the richest event on the domestic calendar, surrounded Stepitup (Aus) (Hussonet) and his attempt to complete the Older Horse Triple Crown. But the diminutive gelding failed to see out this 11-furlong trip under a big weight and Cooptado (Arg) (Equal Stripes {Arg}) proved the main beneficiary.

The winner of the 2013 G1 Gran Premio Nacional (Argentine Derby) and champion 3-year-old of that season in his native land, Cooptado was sold to Russian owners Valentin Bukhtoyarov and Evgeny Kappushev to continue his career in Dubai under the care of Doug Watson. A Listed winner last December, he was transferred to this jurisdiction, and though he hadn’t managed to crash the winner’s circle in his first six runs, he had shown signs of improvement and was exiting a running-on fourth, beaten 2 1/2 lengths, when prepping for the Gold Cup in the El Dorado Classic over this track and trip Oct. 25.

With leading apprentice Rizuan Shafiq having his first ride for two-time Gold Cup-winning conditioner Patrick Shaw, Cooptado, the best-drawn of the trainer’s quartet, drifted back through the field and had three or four behind into the backstretch as Order of the Sun (Aus) (Encosta de Lago {Aus}) crossed to the lead and put open lengths on the rest of the field. The advantage had evaporated as the field hit the half-mile marker, with 61-1 Twickenham (Aus) (Artie Schiller) and Fastnet Dragon (Aus) (Fastnet Rock {Aus}) the first to make their moves. Cooptado remained well back in the field, but his superior stamina began to kick in and he had the leaders within his grasp entering the final furlong. Fastnet Dragon, runner-up to Stepitup in the 1800-meter Raffles Cup Oct. 25, stuck on gamely enough, but he began to tire, and Cooptado grabbed him close home for the victory. Perfect P (Arg) (Perfectperformance) made it a one-three for the stable, while defending champion Quechua (Arg) (Pure Prize) and Emperor’s Banquet (Aus) (Holy Roman Emperor {Ire}) also finished in the top six for Shaw.

“He’s a real stayer, and I wasn’t worried he was far back early, as 2200 meters is very long, but at the 1000-meter mark I thought he couldn’t win when he dropped the bit,” said Shafiq, who recently outrode his claim with his 151st winner. “But when I woke him up and kept riding him, he started to respond very well. He just kept improving and he hit the line very strong. I have to thank Mr. Shaw and the owners for putting me on this horse. It’s a moment I will never forget.”

The winner is bred on the reverse Ride the Rails/Candy Stripes cross responsible for Candy Ride, who, like Cooptado, was bred by Haras Abolengo.

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Sunday, Kranji, Singapore
LONGINES SINGAPORE GOLD CUP, S$1,350,000 (US$951,335), Kranji, 11-15, 3yo/up, 2200mT, 2:14.69, yl.
1–COOPTADO (ARG), 113, g, 5, Equal Stripes (Arg)–Coordinada (Arg), by Ride the Rails. O-Red Stable; B-Haras Abolengo; T-Patrick Shaw; J-Rizuan Shafiq; S$803,250. Lifetime Record: Ch. 3yo Colt-Arg, G1SW-Arg, SW-UAE, 19-5-4-2, $1,050,498. *Full to Coordenada (Arg), G1SW-Arg, $100,927.
2–Fastnet Dragon (Aus), 111, g, 5, Fastnet Rock (Aus)–Sister Madrid (Aus), by Fuji Kiseki (Jpn). (A$147,500 Ylg ‘12 INGPRE). O-Zhao Song; B-J K Sullivan; T-Leslie Khoo; S$286,875.
3–Perfect P (Arg), 110, g, 4, Perfectperformance–Holly Filly (Arg), by Lode. O-Pupetch Racing Stable; B-San Ignacio de Loyola; T-Patrick Shaw; S$145,125.
Margins: NK, 2 3/4, HD. Odds: 9.20, 3.40, 11.20.
Also Ran: Sebrose, Quechua (Arg), Emperor’s Banquet (Aus), Blue Danube (Arg), Twickenham (Aus), Stepitup (Aus), Wild Geese (GB), Hughsy (Aus), Order of the Sun (Aus), Cheetah On Fire (NZ), Martin (NZ), Valbuena (NZ), A La Victory (NZ). Scratched: Tropaios (GB), Imperial March (Arg), Believe Yourself (Aus), Mr Spielberg (NZ).