12 Aug 2023Turn The Ace’s affinity with Te Rapa has continued with the Cambridge Stud graduate again striking gold at the Hamilton course.
The Andrew Forsman-trained son of Turn Me Loose took up his customary role in front and he revelled in his work to record his fifth victory eight appearances on the track.
His love affair with Te Rapa developed early in his career with a winning debut as a two-year-old and followed up with success in the Listed Waikato Equine Veterinary Centre Stakes and has since fashioned an overall record of eight victories from 18 appearances.
Turn The Ace was quickly into stride to make the play under apprentice Elen Nicholas and they coasted along before pressure came 600 metres from home.
The five-year-old was unfazed and raised another effort to slip clear halfway down the straight and comfortably held his Rating 85 rivals at bay at the end of 1600 metres.
“He’s a front-running horse and with the rail out (14 metres), I was pretty confident with him,” Nicholas said.
We offered Turn The Ace at Karaka in 2020 on behalf of breeder The Sunlight Trust and he was purchased for $30,000 Forsman, whose parents Steve and Lynne are part of the ownership group.
The previous year, we also sold Turn The Ace’s half-brother Here To Shock to Slade Bloodstock, of Victoria, for $70,000 and the son of Shocking’s seven wins include 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.