THREE YEAR OLD COLT - WAR CHANT x SEATTLE SLEW x HALO
Owner / Trainer - masterab

2003 Record: 14/ 11-2-0
2003 EARNINGS: $3,136,000

2003 Stakes:

WON: Breeders Bowl Turf -G1, The Penn Marathon -G1, Owner's Stakes -G1, The Wittingham Memorial -G2, The Northern Lights -G3, Fernazzle Classic Cup -G3, The Snowchief Special, The Techranger Special, The DIAMOND SWORD Special, The SPLENDID GRACE Stakes, The STORM CAT Handicap
2nd: Japan Classic -G1, The GAELIC ACTION Handicap

Well the votes have been tallied, and they say when it comes to serving up racing on the turf, they prefer theirs winners to make them have their hearts in their mouths, that is, Sim Racing Form Eclipse Award turf male of the year for 2003 winner is Allied Assault.

Kingab sums up the four 2yo runs that Allied Assault had:

“From the first time I raced Allied Assault as a two-year-old he has been a dream to train. He broke his maiden in his first start, a five and one-half furlong maiden race in Victoria, and came from 12th in a field of 14 to do it. The time wasn't spectacular, but the manner in which he did it gave me hope that he could be a good horse. Over the course of his two-year-old season he only started 3 more times, with never less than 5 weeks between starts, and he went once 15 weeks between starts because of an injury. In his final three starts he won an allowance sprint, and finished 3rd in two non-graded sprint stakes, always closing, but never able to get up in time. He started this past season off with a stakes win in his first start around two turns. I then shipped him to Spain to run in his first graded stakes, a one-mile grade III event. He finished 7th, but he was the only one running at the end, and he was only beaten 4 lengths for it all after being in 14th place with a half-mile to run, and still 13th with a furlong to the wire.”

That is where we will pick up the 2003 Allied Assault story some may even say fairy tale!

Allied Assault last finished out of the money that famous day in Spain, but as Kingab said after the run that day,

“I was more encouraged than discouraged at this point, but in the back of my mind I really wondered if he wanted more distance, or was just a miler who liked to close. He is by War Chant who was a brilliant miler so you can see why I wondered this.”

From that point Kingab began to step Allied Assault up in distance and the results were amazing and his running style electrifying! He won 3 of his next 4 starts when stepping up to the classic distances of 10 furlongs only tasting defeat in The Gaelic Action Stakes.

His next test was the Grade III Fernazzle Classic Cup in NSW, he stepped out and blew the opposition away in what was the turning point of his year, he recorded a 116 speed figure that day, 17 point better than he had ever run and he drew away to win by 4.5 lengths, from then Kingab knew this guy was special!

He stepped out in a stakes race 4 weeks later and demoralized a class field to win by 6.25 lengths as a warm up to the Owners Stakes in week 1845.

He was on a roll and he started as one of the favorites in that race and in his first attempt over the classic distance of a mile and a half he again settled towards the rear and powered home in the stretch to win by a dazzling 7.25 lengths and a speed figure of 118. Kingab reported after that race that he was overjoyed by the occasion of Allied Assaults first Grade One win, he was hopeful that there would be many more to come, how true those words were to become!

He then came out and won the Grade II Whittingham Memorial over 11 furlongs again my a big margin, then 3 weeks later won the Grade III Northern Lights over 12 furlongs by 4.5 lengths. He was then ready for his biggest challenge!!

The Breeders Bowl Turf!!!!

Allied Assault was only a 3yo, taking on the older horses in arguably the most prestigious turf race. Kingab was nervous but confident his charge would acquit himself well. The race was run at a frenetic pace, suiting Allied Assault, he settled beautifully in the run back in 13^th place until the halfway mark where he began his now traditional charge in the stretch! He cane from 7 lengths back at the 3 furlong mark to draw away for the most impressive of wins. He had come to challenge the best over the classic distance and had come away The Best!

After this he did not have a lot to prove to his fans, he started two more times as a 3yo and took on his elders in both races. The Grade I Japan Classic, could there have been a hangover from the Breeders Cup win, Maybe! But he still ran a super second coming from 18 lengths off the lead at one point. He closed out the season with another typical come from behind win in the Grade I Penn Marathon where he won by 2.5 lengths and recorded a 123 speed figure.

There is not a lot more that can be said about this wonderful horse who for mine was clearly the best turf horse of the year. To the other nominees you all had fantastic years and I hope that this year is just as good. They must be mentioned in no particular order:

Bristol Rovers trained by Swampy
Majestic Water trained by Simshady
Sunken Treasure trained by Billgulch
Volotile Nijinsky trained by Titleist