Shylock's got a mean streak
It is true what they say. When one door closes, another opens.
We saw one door close earlier this month, when trainer Cliff Brown uprooted from Kranji and headed back home to Australia.
Among the "luggage" he packed off were eight of his Kranji horses, headed by superstar Inferno, who has already settled into the Mornington Peninsula. The others were Bluestone, Threeandfourpence, Solar Eclipse, Trading Post, Centenary Diamond, Kwoi Hoi and Zermatt.
That said, Brown did leave some "gems" behind and the person who gained most was fellow Australian trainer, Tim Fitzsimmons.
Then again, it was to be expected. After all, Fitzsimmons had - for the better part of six years - been assistant trainer to Brown. He relinquished that post in 2019 to become a trainer in his own right.
Still, it was a good relationship between Brown and Fitzsimmons, who inherited about 20 horses.
Three of them were at the trials on Tuesday morning.
Nate's Champion won his hit-out in a fighting finish, while Boomba was more subdued when sixth in the trial won by Zac Kasa, a former Brown horse now with Mark Walker.
A winner of two of his four races, Boomba is being aimed at a Class 4 race over 1,200m two weeks from now.
"I was happy with Boomba's trial. He came across in good order," said Fitzsimmons.
As for Shylock, he raised a heartbeat. And for good reasons. His pedigree and his connections. The three-year-old is a half-brother of Brown's and Barree Stable's former champion Debt Collector.
Ridden by Marc Lerner, Shylock was a tad stubborn and had to be given a few whacks with the persuader before he got on with the job.
Still it was a good trial and Shylock will have his first start in next Saturday's Restricted Maiden race over 1,200m on turf. Will he display glimpses of Debt Collector? That's left to be seen but, as of now, the team's dreaming big dreams.
Incidentally, Boomba also races in the colours of Barree Stable.
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