Trainer Andrew Forsman was thrilled to give an old mate a helping hand on Saturday. Now former star galloper Turn Me Loose is on the board as a stallion, his former trainer says his Turn The Ace could help significantly boost his profile next season.
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Forsman and senior training partner Murray Baker trained Turn Me Loose to win not only the 2000 Guineas here but the Group 1 Emirates and Futurity in Melbourne, making him one of New Zealand's most successful gallopers at the highest level in Australia in recent years.
As outstanding a racehorse as Turn Me Loose was, any stallion still needs to leave first-season winners, even though Turn Me Loose won only once as a juvenile before his sensational 3-year-old spring.
So Turn The Ace bolting away with the 2-year-old race at Te Rapa on Saturday is the kick-start Turn Me Loose needs as broodmare owners start considering stallion options for the new breeding season.
"He is a good horse to have coming on board for Turn Me Loose because we think this horse [Turn The Ace] can be a spring Guineas horse," said Forsman. "So we will put him aside now and aim for that. We have got quite a few Turn Me Looses in the stable and like them, so I think he can do a job at stud."
It wasn't just providing Turn Me Loose, who stands at Windsor Park, with a kick-start on Saturday that put a smile on Forsman's face, but Turn The Ace is part-owned by his parents, with mum Lynne helping to syndicate the gelding.
"Mum was great helping out with that and they were there on Saturday, which was a real thrill."
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