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.
Forsman and senior training partnerMurray 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."
