Sprinting Stars – Takeover Target
If there are two things we learnt during the Turf Heroes series, they are that (1) a surprising number of people seem to like reading about champion thoroughbreds; and (2) Cliff can’t shut up about such horses. With that in mind, Making The Nut is pleased to bring you a ten-part ‘Sprinting Stars’ series, where Cliff Bingham will look back upon the short course specialists who scorched turf at the highest level. Part eight of the series profiles the star thoroughbred of a Queanbeyan taxi driver, Takeover Target.
Previous instalments of the Sprinting Stars series:
Part 1: Schillaci
Part 2: Mahogany
Part 3: General Nediym
Part 4: Falvelon
Part 5: Spinning Hill
Part 6: Fastnet Rock
Part 7: Miss Andretti
The career
The career of Takeover Target very nearly didn’t get off the ground at all. He had two barrier trials in September 2001 before leg and joint troubles prevented a race debut. Another barrier trial came and went in February 2002 without a debut race. The same dance played out in June 2003 – two barrier trials, injury set in, no races. Lather, rinse, repeat.
It was in 2003 that former Queanbeyan taxi driver turned thoroughbred trainer Joe Janiak rolled the dice, purchasing the horse for just $1,375 ($1,250 + $125 GST). It would prove to be one of the most amazing ‘investments’ in the modern era of thoroughbred racing.
After another barrier trial in April 2004 he finally did see a track on race day, winning a Queanbeyan Maiden with new best pal Jay Ford in the saddle. A Class 1 win at Wagga was followed by two more in restricted grade at Randwick (Kensington) and Rosehill respectively. The original investment had been returned, and then some. More to the point, he had broken 1:10 at each of his three attempts at the 1200 metre journey, an early sign of a very promising type.
Never let it be said that Janiak shirked any challenge with his talented galloper. At just his fifth race start, he was thrown into the proverbial deep end – specifically the Listed Pacesetter Stakes at Gosford. As if to earmark himself as a future champion, Takeover Target won the race well, then for good measure overcame barrier 14 at the tight-turning Grafton track to win the Listed Ramornie Handicap three weeks later. A perfect six-for-six opening campaign was a tremendous start to a career, but plenty more was to come.
Following a three-and-a-half month spell, he put his unbeaten record on the line once more when resuming in one of the toughest sprints on the calendar – the Group 1 (nowadays Group 2) Salinger Stakes down the ‘straight six’ at Flemington. Despite the significant jump in grade he got the job done once again, beating Recurring and stamping himself as a truly elite sprinter.
Injury dramas had not fully deserted him though – he missed both the Brisbane summer sprint series and the Sydney Autumn carnival with hoof problems. Whether the after effects of the injury were still being felt during the Brisbane winter is a matter for conjecture. However, he did suffer his first ever defeat when fourth to Spark Of Life in the Group 2 (nowadays Group 1) BTC Cup. The remainder of the campaign was fruitless as well – a third to Red Oog in the Group 1 Doomben 10,000, a tenth to St Basil in the Group 1 Stradbroke Handicap and a second to Poetic Papal in the Group 3 Carlton Draught Stakes. The preparation was far from a disaster it must be said, but also well short of his 2004 heroics.
An abbreviated Melbourne trip in the spring of 2005 fared no better. He ran fourth to Glamour Puss in his defence of the Salinger Stakes crown, before running seventh (beaten almost ten lengths) by the same galloper in the Group 2 (nowadays Group 1) The Age Classic (formerly known as the Linlithgow Stakes). For all intents and purposes, Takeover Target was taking on the appearance of a ‘one-season wonder’. Still, you know what they say about writing off champions.
Joe Janiak took his out-of-form galloper to Brisbane, much as had been planned the year prior. With 59.5 kilos on his back against a lower grade of horses than he had faced in Melbourne, Takeover Target won the Group 3 Summer Stakes at Doomben by five lengths. More telling than the win was the time he ran – a new track record of 1:07.88, 0.4 seconds faster than he had run to win the Salinger in 2004 and around a second faster than Glamour Puss had run in defeating him twice in the six weeks prior. The champ was back. As if to emphasise the point further, he then lugged 60.5 kilos to a three-length victory in the Listed Doomben Stakes, running 1:17.2, barely outside Falvelon’s track record and 1.4 seconds faster than Red Oog had run (admittedly on a dead track) to win the Doomben 10,000.
Back in vintage form after his Queensland sojourn, the next stop was Flemington for the Group 1 Lightning Stakes. He certainly didn’t disappoint, defeating the fast-finishing God’s Own to win his second career Group 1. A heavy track brought him undone when third to Snitzel in the Group 1 Oakleigh Plate but he atoned in the Group 1 Newmarket Handicap at Flemington, defeating Snitzel and becoming only the third horse in 36 years (after Black Onyx and Shaftesbury Avenue) to win the race carrying 57 kilos or more – Black Caviar has since added her name to that rather elite group.
Two Group 1 wins in his last three starts brought his name to the attention of those on the other side of the world, leading to an invite for Joe Janiak and Takeover Target to come to Royal Ascot and visit the Queen. Following in the footsteps of Choisir he won the Group 2 King’s Stand Stakes, before running third to Les Arcs in the Group 1 Golden Jubilee Stakes. He then headed to Newmarket for the Group 1 July Cup, running a creditable seventh (beaten only two lengths) by Les Arcs once again.
As if to emphasise his standing on the international stage, he went to Japan in September, finishing second to She Is Tosho in the Group 2 Centaur Stakes. From here he went on to win the Group 1 Sprinters Stakes at Nakayama by three lengths, defeating a field which contained Meisho Bowler, Silent Witness, She Is Tosho, Les Arcs and Benbaun. His international rating of 121 at this point had him ranked as the world’s best turf sprinter – a claim few could argue against.
His first year of international sojourns was not without incident though. On the morning of the Group 1 Hong Kong International Sprint, he was scratched by stewards (as short priced favourite elect) after returning a positive reading for the hormone 17-alpha-hydroxyprogesterone hexanoate, with Janiak fined $200,000 HK for his troubles. Despite this, the 53 points he had already amassed were more than enough to be crowned as the Global Sprint Challenge Champion for 2006.
More drama was to take hold early in 2007, though this time of the injury (and subsequently virus) kind. He didn’t resume in the end until mid-April, running fifth to Bentley Biscuit in the Group 1 All-Aged Stakes and then a narrow second to the same galloper in the Group 1 BTC Cup at Doomben. He would very shortly return to the winners’ circle though, taking out the Doomben 10,000 over the flying filly Gold Edition.
The Australian raid on Royal Ascot in 2007 was the strongest yet, with Takeover Target returning to defend his King’s Stand title and the in-form Miss Andretti also headed to the northern hemisphere. In the King’s Stand it was the latter victorious, with the former running a sold fourth. However in the Golden Jubilee it was Takeover Target who was right there when the whips were cracking, falling just short of the American-bred Soldier’s Tale in a gutsy run.
The spring of 2007 came around and as if on cue…. more drama! This time Equine Influenza (EI) was the culprit, forcing him to stay in New South Wales and bypass the Melbourne spring. Instead he resumed in an Open handicap race at Randwick, lugging 61 kilos to win over a small field that included multiple Group 1 winner Dance Hero. Three weeks later he squared off against the same galloper in the Listed Razor Sharp Quality – contrary to predictions of a ‘match race’, it was the mare Alverta that he had to hold off late in the race to capture victory. His final run of the preparation was in the Group 2 Villiers Stakes, shortened to 1400 metres that year. Whilst he was first across the line by a nose from Honor In War, the race was finally decided in the stewards’ room, with interference caused at the 200-metre mark being deemed sufficient to have the placings reversed. It was a hollow end to a hollow (at least relative to previous years) spring for Takeover Target.
His 2008 was an unusual one relative to previous years. It began with a single run in Sydney (third to Apache Cat in the Group 1 TJ Smith), then took in Singapore for the first time, resulting in a win in the Group 1 KrisFlyer International Sprint when breaking the track record. The path then became more familiar for a period with a third trip to Royal Ascot. He finished second to Equiano in the King’s Stand Stakes and then fourth to Kingsgate Native when suffering suspensory ligament damage during the race. It was a brave run and highlighted his affinity for Royal Ascot – six runs for a win, two seconds, a third and two fourths.
Now a nine year-old, the spring of 2008 saw more injury drama beset him (a stone bruise when being set for the Patinack Farm Classic, or Linlithgow Stakes in the old) and saw a detour to Perth for the first time in his career. First up was the Group 2 (nowadays Group 1) Winterbottom Stakes and a rematch with TJ Smith victor Apache Cat. He led for much of the race and despite a late surge from Apache Cat, was able to hold on for a narrow and exciting victory. Two weeks later he took on a small WFA field in the Group 3 AJ Scahill Stakes, underlining his class edge in defeating Tarzi by almost three lengths.
His final preparation commenced in glory at Randwick. Lining up in the TJ Smith against Apache Cat once more, he jumped well, crossed to lead and kicked away to beat three year-old Northern Meteor by two and three-quarter lengths in race record time. Apache Cat was third, almost six lengths off the winner. For an autumn nine year-old to decimate an elite field in such a manner was an astounding feat, one duly noted by the Randwick faithful with a rousing reception as he returned to scale.
The Adelaide racing fraternity did not get to see this champion sprinter until his twilight years, but he didn’t disappoint them. Carrying 58.5 kilos in the Group 1 Goodwood Handicap, he gave the remainder of the field both weight and a galloping lesson, defeating I Am Invincible more convincingly than the one length margin would imply.
One last international stand would complete his career, but it would not be a glorious finale. He ran eighth in the KrisFlyer International Sprint, was withdrawn from the Golden Jubilee Stakes at Royal Ascot on the morning of the race (with an elevated temperature) and then ran seventh in the July Cup at Newmarket, where a cracked cannon bone in his near hind leg effectively ended his racing career. As a rising ten year-old with over $6 million in prizemoney to his name, it was a retirement well and truly earned.
The memories
It is almost impossible to view the career of Takeover Target without a little sentiment sneaking in. That’s not to detract from what was a wonderful career in its own right – it is merely noting that like more than a few who went before him, public adoration was even greater than might have been expected when looking at his on-track efforts alone. Horses such as Manikato, Super Impose, Schillaci and Octagonal grew to be loved as much as they were respected. Takeover Target joined this illustrious group.
Despite the racing industry being a business first and foremost, romanticism still finds a happy home within it. The Takeover Target story ticks most of the ‘romantic boxes’. To wit:
A horse with a ton of talent but down on his luck in the early years (with injury) who just needed someone to nurture him, care for him and believe in him – check.
A quintessential provincial-training ‘battler’ who dared to dream big and took a chance on the horse – check.
The horse and his new trainer sweeping all before them early on before suffering dramatic setbacks later in the piece, but always fighting back and overcoming them – check.
This phenomenal horse taking his trainer to different parts of the globe and allowing him to mix with a wide range of different ‘social sets’ – check.
The old warrior digging into his bag of tricks one more time in the twilight of his career to hand the younger up-and-coming horses an old-fashioned touch up – check.
The Takeover Target ‘script’ was about as close to a real-life sports movie as I ever expect to see. He plucked the heart strings in much the same manner as a few others mentioned above did. He made you feel good about racing. And hopefully, the memories of his career made you smile as you read this. Because make no mistake, romanticism aside, he was an out-and-out sprinting star.
The stats
Overall record: 41 starts, 21 wins (8 x Group 1s, 2 x Group 2s, 2 x Group 3), six seconds, four thirds, $6,028,311 prize money
4YO autumn/ winter (2004): Six starts, six wins
5YO spring (2004): One start, one win (1 x G1)
5YO autumn/ winter (2005): Four starts, one second, one third
6YO spring/ summer/ autumn (2005-06): Seven starts, four wins (2 x G1, 1 x G3), one third
6YO winter (2006): Three starts, one win (1 x G2), one third
7YO spring (2006): Two starts, one win (1 x G1), once second
7YO autumn/ winter (2007): Five starts, one win (1 x G1), two seconds
8YO summer (2007-08): Three starts, two wins, one second
8YO autumn/ winter (2008): Four starts, one win (1 x G1), one second, one third
9YO spring/ summer (2008): Two starts, two wins (1 x G2, 1 x G3)
9YO autumn (2009): Four starts, two wins (2 x G1)
Turf Heroes series
Just in case you missed them the first time around, links to each of our Turf Heroes series are below:
(1) Super Impose, (2) Better Loosen Up, (3) Let’s Elope,(4) Octagonal, (5) Saintly, (6) Might and Power, (7) Sunline, (8) Northerly, (9) Lonhro, (10) Makybe Diva
