Katak, a cut above

Katak's commanding win on Saturday drove home three messages loud and clear.

The South African Group winner is definitely Group material in Singapore, too.

Losing the main equipment towards a stud's life is not necessarily such a bad thing.

Last but not least, trainer Ricardo Le Grange's job is in a racing stable, not a circus.

The Potala Palace five-year-old's five-length stroll in the Spanish Bay 2015 Stake, a Kranji Stakes A race over 2,000m, erased the memories of his last two crushing defeats.

But, besides a rollercoaster of emotions, it also brought out Le Grange's self-deprecating ways.

"I think there was a time when the owners were wondering 'does this clown know what he's doing?' " he said.

The South African horseman was being a bit hard on himself.

He is known to be his harshest critic, but Katak would arguably have been his thorniest case since he took over Patrick Shaw in 2016.

Undefeated in five starts in South Africa, including making a clean sweep of three Group 3 races in the 2020 Cape Winter Series, Katak has plotted a more jagged career path at his second home.

He had the excuse of a rushed prep to prove his Group chops in local features early doors last year.

But the real South African form finally exploded onto the scene at his first two starts this year.

Just when fans thought the penny had dropped, he flopped at his last two runs, even with champion jockey Manoel Nunes aboard.

It was back to the drawing board. But heaving a sigh of resignation. Le Grange knew it was now down to the cutting board.

"It's no secret this horse has had me in a tailspin. It was a big call to geld him," he said.

"Because, if that didn't work, where do we go from there?"

Father and son Marsh and Guy Shitliff and partner Bryn Ressell had visions of Katak foals racing around the world. But breeding stallions can be a catch-22 situation.

Those bred in the purple and born with a silver spoon may not even have to see a racetrack before stud farms snap them up.

But, for the vast majority of stallion prospects, the minimum prerequisite is a "black type" win, preferably with a Group 1 label.

While Katak boasted three Group 3s back home, a bigger win on the bigger global stage would have shot up his commercial value.

But, if you cannot even win races, how will you make the cut as a future sire, pun not intended?

Wins on the track meant more at the end of the day. As irreversible as a gelding operation is, it has become a necessary evil.

The ultimate sacrifice has obviously paid off, judging by his thumping win under first-time partner Vlad Duric on Saturday.

But some rough edges still needed smoothening out.

"I still have to work out why he was hanging out. Vlad said it was not a soundness issue, it's a habit that was probably picked up as a colt," said Le Grange.

"I expected him to do well and he showed me what I've always expected of him. He put paid to a decent field of multiple Group 1 winners and also gave weight to them.

"Big thanks to Guy, Marsh, Bryn, and (racing manager) Mark van Deventer. I'd also like to thank his track rider Ayie (Nazri Malik) as he's not an easy horse to ride, and Jacci (Detert) who does a lot of work behind the scenes."

Katak will now be aimed at the two middle-distance feature races later in the year - the Group 1 Queen Elizabeth II Cup (1,800m) on Oct 15 and Group 1 Singapore Gold Cup (2,000m) on Nov 19.

He ran second and fourth respectively last year.

A win in either might feel bittersweet to the Shirtliffs and Vasco Stable. But, then again, they owe it to a clown who dared cut to the chase.