Bits & Pieces

WE SAW IT

Each time he appears on the track, Takeover Target adds another remarkable chapter to one of the great stories of the Australian turf, and his latest age-defying sprint gives hope to veterans everywhere.

The development of the $1250 ($1375 with GST) cast-off as a racehorse and as a ‘mate’ of Joe Janiak, the battling trainer-owner, has been amazing, and Takeover Target (B g 9, Celtic Swing (GB)-Shady Stream, by Archregent (CAN)) is a book and a movie in the making.

After the win in the $500,000 Group 1 T.J. Smith Stakes, racing’s extraordinary ambassador Gai Waterhouse (daughter of the late Tommy Smith and Sydney’s top trainer) raised Janiak’s arm at the presentation and said, “Well done, what a sensational trainer.”

This was one of Takeover Targets easiest wins – he has six Group 1s among 20 wins from 38 starts and has earned $5.8 million – and the rising 10-year-old did it arrogantly at both ends of the 1200m race, crossing from the outside barrier (6) to lead, then kicking clear in the straight.

He ran the 1200 in 1.09.09 on a dead track, breaking the long-standing track record (1:09.19) set in 1997 by Mahogany (br g 1990, Last Tycoon (IRE)-Alshandegha (USA), by Alydar (USA)).

Caller Mark Shean, usually low-key, raised his voice octaves to say of TT, “Nine years of age and he prances it in by three.”

Jockey Nash Rawiller, having his first ride on the horse at the expense of lightweight Jay Ford, said the old horse was a 200/1 chance on his scratchy warmup until he saw the gates and went to threes-on. Thrirn