Takaoka and Lerner combo gather steam
French rider kicks home third winner, Across The Sea, for Japanese trainer
Trainer Hideyuki Takaoka's new French connection is gathering steam.
On Sunday, his association with French jockey Marc Lerner gained further traction when they combined for their third success with Across The Sea.
Before Lerner, the Japanese trainer had enjoyed a perfect chemistry with Olivier Placais last year. But,with Placais' departure from Kranji, Takaoka seems to have now hit it off with Lerner in 2019.
Before Across The Sea, the new partnership scored with Carnelian and In Bocca Al Lupo.
The early signs of a link-up actually surfaced last year when Lerner, who moved from Germany to Kranji in September, had In Bocca Al Lupo among his two 2018 winners.
Raced by In Bocca Al Lupo's Big Valley Stable as well, Across The Sea was given a peach of a ride from Lerner in the $70,000 RDA Cup 2019, a Kranji Stakes C race over 1,600m which had garnered only eight runners.
After a decent start, the Japanese-bred seven-year-old looked well within himself as he took up a one-out one-back position, about three lengths off the leader Panache.
He did seem to be plodding on the one spot going around the second turn, but hard ridden by Lerner, he eventually let down with a sizzling turn of foot inside the last 300m to beat Mighty Emperor by 1-1/2 lengths.
Takaoka was obviously glad he had found an able pair of hands for his yard, even if Lerner has taken a while to get "acclimatised" to Singapore racing.
"Marc's improving. He needed the experience with Singapore racing," he said.
"He's getting better and I'm very happy for him. I'm also very happy with the good start I've made in 2019."
Lerner said he actually thought he was not travelling well enough coming off the back to finish the race, but Across The Sea luckily got back on the bit when it mattered.
"The plan was to follow Panache as he's got pace and he had an apprentice jockey on his back. I felt he would take me far into the race," said Lerner.
"But, round the bend, I thought my horse was flat and not moving as well as I would have liked. I had to do some hard pushing to get him going again.
"I kept the stick in the left hand and he finally showed a good turn of foot in the last 300m. He's not very honest, as he can switch off when he is all by himself up front, you've got to time his run so he is in front only once."
The modest rider was again playing down his input when asked about his healthier start to 2019 compared to his laboured start last year. To him, he just needs to get his bum on more quick ones than slow ones.
"I have the chance to get on some good chances," said the Frenchman, who also won aboard the Daniel Meagher-trained Invincible Ryker in the Class 3 dash over the Polytrack 1,000m. "I'm just lucky to get on good horses. I don't have much to do."
Lerner is tied with reigning champion jockey Vlad Duric and Michael Rodd on five winners, two behind leader Noh Senari, who scored his seventh win aboard Wonderful Paint.
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