Amy scores on first international trip

Singapore Turf Club Local News

Amy scores on first international trip - double for Treloar

Craig Brennan
Saturday, August 23, 2008

Australian apprentice Amy Herrmann scored a victory at just her second ride in Singapore when successful aboard Brilliant Knight in the $65,000 Initiation Stakes over 1400m on Saturday.

And Brilliant Knight's victory was the first leg of a double for former Australian trainer Len Treloar.

The 21 year-old is apprenticed to former Singapore trainer David Balfour at Morphettville in Australia and is currently doing a two week stint with Don Baertschiger as part of a scholarship she won for being Dux of the Thoroughbred Racing South Australia’s Apprentice Academy.

Herrmann had the four-year-old son of Octagonal perfectly positioned throughout the 1400m assignment.

Australian apprentice Amy Herrmann guides Brilliant Knight to victory on Saturday.

After angling clear early in the straight and striking the lead with 300m to run, Herrmann kept Brilliant Knight going strongly to the line to score by a length over Music Star (Mark Ewe) with Xenolith Gold (H S Gill) a head away in third place.

“I got a massive adrenalin rush out of that win,” said Herrmann. “I’ve ridden in Group 1 races and other Group races back home and I thought that was good.

“But this beats that without any doubt.

“To be riding overseas is such a great thrill and to ride a winner at just my second ride is outstanding.

“I didn’t know what to think when I crossed the line. I just had to hold it together and not fall off.

“He’s still a bit green the horse and he wanted to run around a bit after the line, but he did the job.

“It’s such a great thrill.”

Herrmann arrived in Singapore last Sunday and immediately commenced riding work for a variety of trainers and guided four at trackwork on Saturday morning for the Baertschiger stable before a sleep in preparation for Saturday’s racing.

Treloar said he has a happy knack of putting visiting jockeys on for their initial success.

“I’ve supplied quite a few visiting jockeys with their first winner in Singapore,” said Treloar.

Herrmann rode trackwork for Treloar during the week and he said her 3kg claim was important in breaking through.

Brilliant Knight was having just his second start and Treloar believes the gelding has the makings of a nice horse.

“He’s a typical Octagonal,” said Treloar. “I think he has the makings of developing into a nice stayer in the future and he should more than pay his way here in Singapore.”

Brilliant Knight is from the Canny Lad Lad mare Aspreys and took his prizemoney to around the $50,000 for the Knight Racing Stable with his victory on Saturday.

The Treloar stable made it a double when Golden Flame scored an easy victory in the $55,000 Class 4 - Div. 2 Stakes over 1600m.

Ridden by Mark Gallagher, Golden Flame scored by four-and-a-half lengths over Lim's Ocean (Eric Legrix) with Ready To Go (Danny Beasley) a half length away third.

Golden Flame was coming back from 2200m to 1600m but that didn't dampen Treloar's enthusiasm for the horse.

"He's a nice horse and even though he was coming back in distance I thought he would be hard to beat," said Treloar.

"He has always given me the impression that a soft track would suit him and when the rain started to fall my confidence grew."

Golden Flame is a six-year-old Australian-bred gelding by Langfuhr from the Papal Power mare Romeril. He took his stake earnings past the $200,000 mark for the Golden Bullion Stable with his seventh win from 40 starts.