Runaway win for gelded Katak

 Runaway win for gelded Katak

Gelding has made all the difference to Katak as the 2020 Cape Winter Series champion romped to a five lengths victory in the $100,000 Spanish Bay 2015 Stakes, a Kranji Stakes A race over 2000m on Saturday.

Despite forward runs in his barrier trials prior to his last two starts, Katak's form did not turn up on raceday, prompting trainer Ricardo Le Grange to resort to the “snip".

Following another crushing defeat in the Group 1 Kranji Mile three weeks later, when he finished 7.50 lengths behind the winner, Lim’s Lightning, Le Grange decided it was time for the irreversible.

More than five weeks later, a more tractable Katak was seen winning nicely under new race-partner Vlad Duric in a barrier trial.

“It had always been at the back of my mind to do so (gelding him), but I didn’t want to do it before the big race (Kranji Mile), so he was gelded a few days after that run,” said Le Grange.

“I felt that he wasn’t putting in 100% in his races and he was starting to show signs of coltishness back at home. His demeanour was changing.

In the barrier trial a hard-held Katak beat stablemate Pennywise by 0.50 lengths.

“Time will tell but his mannerism has improved. He’s settled down a lot more and wasn’t as ‘fierce’ in his trackwork. He’s much more manageable now.”

This time the result was never in doubt as the son of Potala Palace, owned by Vasco Stable, comprising Marsh Shirtliff, his Singapore-based son Guy, and Bryn Ressell, beat Circuit Mission, to whom he was conceding 6kg, by five lengths, with Minister 0.30-lengths back in third. - Singapore Turf Club