Demon King a horse to follow

WS graduate Demon King confirmed that he had the brightest of futures in Singapore when he struck for trainer Michael Freedman at Kranji on Sunday. Fourth on debut, he gave a commanding performance under rider Danny Beasley despite covering extra ground.

“He finished off strongly in a 1200m race at his first start and we were expecting a good run from him,” Freedman’s assistant trainer Jamie Peters said. “It was a bit of a worry he was three deep, but he still hit the line strongly. We had a winner from one runner last Friday and it’s good to get another winner.”

Rider Beasley, an avid student of form and pedigree, said he would be surprised if Demon King does not go on to make his mark in good company. “I was never concerned even though he was wide as he’s a big horse with big long strides. He’s not really a sit and sprint type of horse. He winds up as he shows in the race, he picks up on his momentum as he hits the line. That tells me he will get further, probably up to 1600m and 1800m. He is bred to stay as he is also a close relation to that very good mare Stephen Gray and his father Kevin had in New Zealand, Daffodil, who won the Australian Oaks (2400m) a few years ago.”

Bred by WS and Chris Turner, Demon King is a son of No Excuse Needed and the O’Reilly mare Sorgente who is a sister to Daffodil’s dam Spring.