Singapore Group One Winner for Fastnet

Fastnet Rock has been on a roll in recent weeks with stakes-winners in Hong Kong (Sichuan Success) and Australia (Born to Rock) now followed by talented gelding Speed Baby (4g Fastnet Rock x Twisted Heart, by Distorted Humor) , winner of the prestigious Patron’s Bowl Sng Gr 1 at Kranji on Sunday. Speed Baby started his career in Malaysia, winning six of his first eight starts including a seven length romp in the RM$700,000 Malaysian Group 1 Coronation Cup under the care of trainer Kevin Coetzee, before Malaysia’s top jockey Azhar Ismail convinced the galloper’s owners, the Eastern Stable, to chase the more lucrative prize money on offer in Singapore. Having just his third race start in Singapore under new trainer Steven Burridge, Speed Baby powered home from midfield to overhaul the favourite Better Than Ever to win the 1400 metre sprint by a neck in a performance that has stamped him as a serious contender for next month’s S$1million Singapore Derby (2000m). "He’s so relaxed and it shows in his racing pattern. I think he can get the 2000m," said Burridge. "Anyway, that’s why he’s here. He won six from eight in Malaysia and he’s obviously good enough to have a go at the better races down here. "He cost the owner A$280,000 as a yearling. He’s certainly lived up to his price tag." A $280,000 purchase from the Yarraman Park draft at the 2008 Inglis Australian Easter Yearling Sale for Malaysian based buyer CP Bey, Speed Baby runs for the Eastern Stable and has won seven of 11 starts. Bred by Tim Hughes and Ron Dufficy, Speed Baby is the first foal of Group III placed Twisted Heart, a daughter of leading US sire Distorted Humor from the family of Group II winners Katima and Deferential. Twisted Heart had another Fastnet Rock colt sell at the Magic Millions last year for Yarraman Park making $200,000 to the bid of Danny O’Brien, the mare due to foal again this spring to the popular Coolmore based sire. Yarraman Park and Fastnet Rock have proven a winning combination with Speed Baby the third stakes-winner by the sire sold by Yarraman Park in the past few weeks joining HK stakes-winner Sichuan Success (4g Fastnet Rock x Coureuse, by Tierce) and smart mare Born to Rock (3f Fastnet Ropck x Call Me Pretty, by Peaks and Valleys) , who followed her Listed win with a close third in the Group I Tattersalls Tiara last Saturday.