29 Jul 2023A return to his happiest hunting ground at Te Rapa saw Turn The Ace stage an impressive return to his best form.
The Cambridge Stud-sold Turn Me Loose four-year-old had been successful on the track two runs back and either side of that had struck unsuitable going when unplaced.
“It came down to track conditions last time at Tauranga and we were hoping it would have been loose enough and it wasn’t and he also struggled at Pukekohe where it was the same again,” trainer Andrew Forsman said,
“We thought he would get his chance at Te Rapa where he has performed very well before.”
Turn The Ace also won twice on the course as a juvenile, including top honours in the Listed Waikato Equine Veterinary Stakes, and he made it four victories on the track with his latest success over 1400 metres.
“The only queries were going up to open class and whether 1400 metres would be too sharp for him,” Forsman said.
His concerns were unfounded with Turn The Ace working his way to the front for rider Michael McNab and held a strong gallop to win by 1.8l.
We offered Turn The Ace at Karaka in 2020 on behalf of breeder The Sunlight Trust and he was secured by Forsman for $30,000.
The previous year we also sold his half-brother Here To Shock to Victoria’s Slade Bloodstock for $70,000 and the son of Shocking has won seven races, including the Listed Bendigo Golden Mile.
They are out of the Lonhro mare Frescoes, who is from the family of the Group 1 winners Freemason and Mental.