Another champion becomes a Legend

AUSTRALIA’s international freak Takeover Target ran himself into legend status at Randwick today when he blew his rivals off the track in scoring a record breaking win in the Group 1 T J Smith Stakes.
Reported having missed some track work leading up to the race there were doubts about his ability to run out the 1200m. under weight-for-age conditions.
That was enforced after he was made to work early when star three-year-old colt Northern Meteor kicked up underneath him for the first 200 metres.
But jockey Nash Rawiller just allowed the ninie-year-old to stride along until he got the better of Northern Meteor and eventually worked his way to the front.
Meanwhile his main rivals, last year’s winner Apache Cat and Warwick Stakes winner Racing To Win were enjoying a cosy run in behind the pace.
But just as the pressure came on at the turn into the straight it became a one horse affair.
Rawiller allowed Takeover Target to drift a little wide rounding the corner at which stage Northern Meteor kicked up on the inside to challenge again.
But it was obvious Takeover Target was traveling easily and when Rawiller said go he sprinted clear and soon had the race in his keeping.
At the line Takeover Target set a race record time of 1:09.0 and he had about three lengths to spare over Northern Meteor who battled on well with Apache Cat running into third without ever looking like catching the winner.
After the race Rawiller said: “What a superstar. He just travelled in a different gear to the rest of them.’’
Winning trainer Joe Janiak confirmed that Takeover Target would next step out in the Goodwood Handicap at Morphettville before another English tour via Singapore.