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First Group Winner for Van Nistelrooy 30 Jul 2007
Onceuponatime (NZ) (Van Nistelrooy) made quite an impression in Singapore two starts back breaking his maiden with a ten-and-a-half length win over 1200m. On Friday, the big, strong, chestnut colt proved that he could also foot it with the best of his age group, and beat them, in the Group Three Magic Millions Juvenile Championship (1200m), the only major event for two-year-olds on the Singapore racing calendar.

The win gave young sire Van Nistelrooy (USA) (Storm Cat) his first points on the board in the Southern Hemisphere when it comes to Group racing. It was a first for British trainer David Hill too – his first Group winner in Singapore after a very successful career training in Hong Kong. Ecstatic with the result, Hill commented, “whatever he is now, he will be twice as good in a year’s time and a year again after that. He is going to develop into a very nice horse.”

Jumping from a wide barrier, the speed was on early with jockey Ronnie Stewart deciding to settle on the rails in mid-field after some buffeting early on. Turning for home, Onceuponatime was in a perfect position to pounce and with a clear run, the colt knuckled down to the task of reeling in race favourite Handsom Jazz (Aus) (Show A Heart). “He was pretty green in the run,” said Stewart. “It was a great win in the end, he tried very hard and is a horse that will go far,” he said.

Bred by Haunui Farm and Jim & Leslie Ottway, Onceuponatime caused his fair share of problems as a yearling missing both the New Zealand Premier Sale and Sydney Easter Sale due to injury niggles. Eventually sold through the New Zealand Bloodstock Ready-to-Run Sale in November, the colt was purchased by David Hill for $60,000.

“It was great to hear the result on Saturday morning and it’s nice to get a Group winning two-year-old from Van Nistelrooy’s first crop,” said Brent Taylor of Trelawney Stud. “There is no doubting that Singapore racing is very competitive, especially in these types of races and when you watch the video, it was a fairly impressive effort from the horse,” said Brent.

In total, Van Nistelrooy has had eleven winners in the Southern and Northern Hemisphere combined. In the North, he’s had the stakes winning filly Mailey’s Cat (USA) and the stakes placed Set Play (USA) whilst in the Southern Hemisphere he’s had Onceuponatime, Vanny Fair and Pit Lane – the winner of three-in-a-row in Australia. “From his first Southern Hemisphere crop, Van Nistelrooy has produced a Group Winner and a stakes placed filly so you can’t ask for much more than that,” says Brent. “We can only hope for more results like this in the new season,” he said.