Super Easy shows his class with Group Win…

Source: Craig Brennan / Michael Lee – 12/11/2011

SUPER EASY – Purchased by Blue Sky Thoroughbreds at Karaka Premier Yearling Sale 2010 for NZ$140,000.

Classy three-year-old Super Easy took the next step up in class when he took out the $350,000 Group 2 EW Barker Trophy over 1400m on Friday night.

Unbeaten in his five starts in Singapore, Super Easy, ridden by Joao Moreira, was heavily supported to run the $14 favourite before scoring a half-length victory over Ato (Barend Vorster) with The Comedian (Ronnie Stewart) a short-head back in third place.

Run on a yielding 5.1 rated track, Super Easy recorded a time of 1 min 23.24 secs for the journey.

With Moreira's record breaking season rising to new heights with every winner he rides, it was ironic that Super Easy's victory was his first Group race win for the season.

The effort of Super Easy stamped him as a rising star of the Singapore turf as Moreira put up 1.5kg over his declared weight of 50kg and was within 1.5kg of last season's champion three-year-old Gingerbread Man, who after racing on the speed, finished in fourth place under Vlad Duric.

Super Easy will head for a spell of between a month and six weeks before being brought back into work with the Singapore Three-Year-Old Challenge next year being his most logical target.

Moreira had Super Easy parked in third spot on the fence tailing Ato and Gingerbread Man in the run before hooking him out three wide and into clear running soon after straightening.

At this point Ato had kicked clear but Super Easy lowered and extended his stride and was able to reel in the leader with 100m to run.

"He got there narrowly in the end but it has been a very good win," said trainer Michael Freedman.

"He's done a mighty job this horse to go from winning a Class 4 at his first start here to winning a Group 2 in five starts.

"He's a lovely horse and right from the time I first saw him in New Zealand I knew that he would be the right horse for up here.

"He was unlucky not to win the Karaka Millions back in January finishing fourth and on another occasion he finished a narrow second to Anabandana who was later named the champion two-year-old in New Zealand.

"We knew the form was stacking up and I knew we had a serious racehorse on our hands.

"It was a bit of a punt buying a horse by a new young stallion, but I'm certainly glad we took the punt now.

"He's just a genuine horse to work with and we all saw the results there tonight."

Freedman said he would discuss options with connections before deciding on what path to take with the colt, but said the likely option was to stay in Singapore and tackle the Singapore Three-Year-Old Challenge.

"I would love to showcase him on the world stage," said Freedman. "I certainly think he's good enough to do it and hopefully there will be time for that after the Three-Year-Old Challenge next year."

Super Easy (Photo by Singapore Turf Club)

Freedman paid special thanks to all the staff in his stables, in particular the efforts of his main lieutenants James Peters, Zarai and Amy.

Moreira maintained his unbeaten streak on Super Easy having ridden the colt to all five of his victories in Singapore.

"I knew he was a nice horse when he first came here and we've always had very high expectations of him," said Moreira.

"I've been very lucky to have been his partner from the start and though we knew tonight's race was one of the toughest he's had, I was very confident.

"He has always passed that confidence to me at all his previous four wins and I knew he would not let me down tonight.

"He jumped very well and I had a good position behind Ato. When the race sped up from the 500m, I started to ride him along and I was lucky to get a clear run when I took him out for his run.

"The thing about him is he has got such a big heart and he just knows where the winning post is."

Moreira said he was never worried about Super Easy going over 1400m for the first time and even predicted he could be stretched further in the future.

"I'm not sure if he can go over more ground now, but as he gets older, I have no doubt he will be able to see up to a mile."

Patrick Shaw, who prepares the runner-up Ato, was one of the first to congratulate Freedman on his success with Super Easy.

Shaw who won the following race with Rocket Man, was taken with the performance of Super Easy who was giving away age, weight and experience to his rivals.

"He is one very good racehorse," said Shaw. "His winning days are far from finished and I think he can go a lot further.

"Michael should seriously be considering taking him to Dubai next year. He is a very good horse."

In winning the EW Barker Trophy, Super Easy added another $187,000 to the $187,425 he had won from his previous four wins.

By Darci Brahma from the Gold Brose mare Parfoe, Super Easy is owned by the Joy N Happiness Stable.

The Joy N Happiness Stable made it a double for the night when Super Guru took out the final event on the program, the $65,000 Blizz Bess 2002 Stakes over 1600m and in doing so provided trainer Leslie Khoo with a winning treble as well as Moreira.