NZ bred gelding Ace Aliado improved his winning streak to six on end after a determined victory in the Punters’ Way Cup (1400m) in Singapore on Friday night.  Trainer Laurie Laxon will now set him for the Group 2 EW Barker Trophy on November 8.

Laxon won the 2008 Barker Trophy with Big Maverick and that galloper went on to grab a Group 1 in the Raffles Cup earlier this month.

Ace Aliado (4g Towkay-Waikawa by Dance Floor) jumped from a wide alley but got across and then repelled several challengers to win by a length from Dragon World (O’Reilly).

Ace Aliado won on debut over 1200m at Kranji in January and then came back to add three more over the same trip in June and July.  He was given another let-up and maintained his undefeated record at Kranji on September 11 before winning again when stepped up to 1400m last night.

“He dropped the bit and relaxed beautifully then kicked strongly in the home straight,” winning jockey Saimee Jumaat said.  ”He is a serious horse and he can easily go places next year.  I rate him very highly.”

Ace Aliado is raced by Ace Stable and Midas Touch Stable and is by Last Tycoon sire Towkay who stands at Little Avondale Stud at Masterton in New Zealand.  His expats have built up a great strike-rate in Singapore and Hong Kong.

Ace Aliado is the first winner from unraced mare Waikawa who is a half-sister to the Australian winners King Leo (Brisbane) and Tory Channel (Perth).  The nearest black-type in the family goes back to Morar (Otehi Bay) who was  G1 winner of the G1 Telegraph Hcp at Trentham in 1992.