Takeover Target

Thoroughbred racehorse infobox
horsename = Takeover Target


caption =
sire = Celtic Swing (GB)
grandsire = Damister (USA)
dam = Shady Stream (AUS)
damsire = Archregent (CAN)
sex = Gelding
foaled = 1999
country = Australia
colour = Brown
breeder = Meringo Stud, NSW
owner = Joe Janiak, Ben Janiak
trainer = Joe Janiak
record = 35:17-6-4
earnings= AUD$5,214,700
race = Salinger Stakes (G1) (2004)
Lightning Stakes (G1) (2006)
Newmarket Handicap (G1) (2006)
King's Stand Stakes (G2) (2006)
Sprinters Stakes (G1) (2006)
Doomben 10,000 (G1) (2007)
Singapore International Sprint (G1) (2008)
awards= Australian Champion Sprinter (2006)
World's Highest Rated Turf Sprinter (2006)
Global Sprint Challenge Champion (2006)
Australian Champion International Performer (2006, 2007, 2008)
honours =
updated= 12th September 2008

Takeover Target (foaled 1999) is a much travelled Australian Thoroughbred racehorse who has won top sprinting races in Australia, United Kingdom, Japan and Singapore.He is owned and trained by Queanbeyan, New South Wales taxi driver Joe Janiak and has been ridden by Sydney based jockey Jay Ford in all but one race start. He was purchased for $AUD1250 in July 2003 [ [http://www.inglis.com.au/auctions/results/2003/winter/03wit5.html Inglis 2003 Winter Thoroughbred Sale, 18th July 2003] ] and has earned in excess of $5,200,000 in prize money.

Sired by Celtic Swing out of the dam Shady Stream who was unraced, Takeover Target was ruled out of racing for thirty months due to leg and joint problems, and did not make his debut until he was a four year old.He was unbeaten in all of his starts in 2004 and set a 7-race winning run following his debut on 23 April 2004 in a 1200 metre maiden at Queanbeyan Racecourse. These wins included victory in the listed Pacesetter Stakes at Gosford Racecourse, the listed Ramornie Handicap at Grafton Racecourse and the Group 1 Salinger Stakes at Flemington Racecourse in October of that year.

Takeover Target then endured two injury setbacks which would keep him out of racing for a further six months. He pulled up lame after effortlessly winning a barrier trial at the Gold Coast Racecourse in late November 2004 while being prepared for two stakes races at Doomben Racecourse then had to have a piece of infected bone removed from a hoof while being prepared for the Sydney Autumn Racing Carnival in 2005.

In 2005 he failed to win in six starts before a first up win in December at Doomben Racecourse in the Group 3 Summer Stakes, winning by more than five lengths carrying 59.5kg while breaking the 1200 metre track record previously held by Lion Hunter with a time of 1:07.88. [ [http://www.racingandsports.com.au/racing/RSNewsArt.asp?NID=75774 "Takeover Target in record breaking win" Racing and Sports article, 10th December 2005] ] He followed this up with another win in the listed Doomben Stakes, winning by three lengths carrying 60.5kg and running within four one-hundreds of a second of the 1350 metre track record held by Falvelon.

In the early part of 2006 Takeover Target continued his good form by winning two Group 1 races, the Lightning Stakes and the Newmarket Handicap at Flemington Racecourse becoming only the third horse behind Black Onyx and Shaftesbury Avenue to carry at least 57kg to victory in the Newmarket Handicap in the last thirty six years. He also became only the second horse behind Maybe Mahal to win Flemington’s three major Group 1 sprints, the Salinger Stakes, Lightning Stakes and Newmarket Handicap. [ [http://www.racingandsports.com.au/racing/RSNewsArt.asp?NID=80921 "Takeover Target completes sprint treble" Racing and Sports article, 11th March 2006] ] These wins resulted in Takeover Target being invited to compete in the Royal Ascot carnival in June in the United Kingdom.

Takeover Target's British campaign started successfully by winning the Group 2 King's Stand Stakes on June 20, 2006 defeating Benbaun. He then finished third behind Les Arcs in the Group 1 Golden Jubilee Stakes four days later and seventh behind Les Arcs in the Group 1 July Cup at Newmarket Racecourse, being beaten two lengths. After his King's Stand Stakes win, Takeover Target was declared the best sprinter in the world on turf by the International Federation of Horseracing Authorities with a rating of 118 which would improve to 121 with a subsequent win in Japan later in the year. [ [http://www.horseracingintfed.com/resources/2006Rankings/10_17_06_WTRR_PressRelease.asp International Federation of Horseracing Authorities, press release 17th October 2006] ]

At the end of the 2005-06 season Takeover Target was named Australian Champion Sprinter.

From England, Takeover Target travelled to Japan, where he finished second in the Group 2 Centaur Stakes at Chukyo Racecourse to locally trained mare She Is Tosho. In the Group 1 Sprinters Stakes at Nakayama Racecourse,Takeover Target won by about three lengths defeating a field which contained Meisho Bowler, Silent Witness, She Is Tosho, Les Arcs and Benbaun. In Hong Kong, where he was to compete in the Group 1 Hong Kong International Sprint, Takeover Target was withdrawn by stewards on the morning of the race for returning a positive reading to 17-alpha-hydroxyprogesterone hexanoate, a hormone. The horse was a short priced favourite and, if he had won the race, his connections stood to collect a further $US 1 million bonus in prize money for winning Group 1 races in the Global Sprint Challenge series in three of the four host countries. Instead the horses owner and trainer Joe Janiak was fined 200,000 Hong Kong Dollars by stewards. On International Day in Hong Kong, he was crowned Global Sprint Challenge Champion for 2006, finishing with 53 points, well clear of his closest competitor on 17 points. [ [http://globalsprintchallenge.com/ Global Sprint Challenge] ]

Takeover Target's return to racing in Australia in 2007 was delayed, first by an injury sustained in an exhibition gallop at a Queanbeyan race meeting in early March, and then by a virus which forced him to miss the Group 1 T J Smith Stakes at Randwick Racecourse in early April. He resumed the following week in the Group 1 All Aged Stakes at Randwick over 1400 metres where he ran fifth. Takeover Target then finished second in the Group 1 BTC Cup at Doomben Racecourse followed by a win in the Group 1 Doomben 10,000, defeating the filly Gold Edition. [ [http://www.racingandsports.com.au/racing/RSNewsArt.asp?NID=104848 "Superb win sets Takeover Target for Royal Ascot" Racing and Sports article, 26th May 2007] ] He then headed back to England for the 2007 Royal Ascot carnival.

On June 19 Takeover Target finished fourth in the Group 2 King's Stand Stakes behind Miss Andretti before finishing second in the Group 1 Golden Jubilee Stakes to American bred entrant Soldier's Tale. Takeover Target then returned to Australia and his new home at Coffs Harbour in New South Wales.

Due to the 2007 Australian equine influenza outbreak that spread throughout New South Wales and Queensland in late August, Takeover Target was not able to travel to Victoria to compete in the Melbourne Spring Racing Carnival. Takeover Target resumed racing on December 1, 2007 in a $100,000 Open Handicap race at Randwick. He carried 61kg to defeat Dance Hero, a former Golden Slipper and multiple Group 1 winner. Three weeks later Takeover Target raced again at Randwick in a listed race over 1200 metres in what was dubbed a match race with Dance Hero. Takeover Target held off the late challenge of Scone mare Alverta to win the race. Dance Hero finished last. In the Group 2 Villiers Stakes over 1400 metres, Takeover Target held off the challenge of the former North American trained and Group 1 winner Honor In War to win by a nose with Alverta 2.5 lengths back in third place but lost the race on protest to Honor In War due to interference 200 metres from the finish.

Following a spell, Takeover Target returned to racing on 26 April 2008 in the Group 1 T J Smith Stakes over 1200 metres, finishing third behind multiple Group 1 winner Apache Cat. Takeover Target then travelled to Singapore where he won the Singapore Turf Club’s KrisFlyer International Sprint (G1) over 1200 metres at Kranji Racecourse on 18 May 2008 in new track record time of 1:08.80. [ [http://www.racingandsports.com.au/racing/RSNewsArt.asp?NID=127350 "Royal Ascot here we come!" Racing and Sports article, 19th May 2008] ]

From Singapore, Takeover Target travelled to England and on June 17 he finished second in the Group 1 King's Stand Stakes behind Equiano. Four days later Takeover Target finished a brave fourth in the Group 1 Golden Jubilee Stakes behind Kingsgate Native despite suffering suspensory ligament damage during the running of the race.

At the end of the 2007-08 season Takeover Target was named Australian Champion International Performer for the third consecutive season.

Takeover Target has now won seventeen of his thirty five race starts including six races at Group One level and has accumulated $AUD 5,214,700 in prize money which places him in fourteenth position amongst the Millionaire racehorses in Australia and the only specialist sprinter in the top twenty.

Race Record

Pedigree

Pedigree
name = Takeover Target
f = Celtic Swing (GB) br. 1992
m = Shady Stream (AUS) ch. 1994
ff = Damister (USA) b. 1982
fm = Celtic Ring (GB) b. 1984
mf = Archregent (CAN) b. 1981
mm = Merry Shade (AUS) gr. 1989
fff = Mr. Prospector (USA)
ffm = Batucada (USA)
fmf = Welsh Pageant (FR)
fmm = Pencuik Jewel (GB)
mff = Vice Regent (CAN)
mfm = Respond (CAN)
mmf = Spectacular Spy (USA)
mmm = Parasol ( )
ffff = Raise A Native (USA)
fffm = Gold Digger (USA)
ffmf = Roman Line (USA)
ffmm = Whistle A Tune (USA)
fmff = Tudor Melody (GB)
fmfm = Picture Light (FR)
fmmf = Petingo (GB)
fmmm = Fotheringay (FRA)
mfff = Northern Dancer (CAN)
mffm = Victoria Regina (CAN)
mfmf = Canadian Champ (CAN)
mfmm = Reply (USA)
mmff = Spectacular Bid (USA)
mmfm = Lassie Dear (USA)
mmmf = Sostenuto (ITY)
mmmm = Mary Poppins (AUS)|

References