Takeover Target

Takeover Target (foaled 27 September 1999) is a much travelled Australian Thoroughbred racehorse who has won top sprinting races in each of the five major cities in Australia as well as the United Kingdom, Japan and Singapore.He is owned and was trained by Joe Janiak, a former Queanbeyan, New South Wales taxi driver and was ridden by Sydney based jockey Jay Ford in all but two race starts. He was purchased for A$1,250 plus $125 GST in July 2003 and earned $6,028,311 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 seven race winning run following his debut on 23 April 2004 in a 1,200 metre maiden race 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 injuries 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...
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