Takeover Target

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Takeover Target (born 1999) is an Australian thoroughbred racehorse. He was purchased for approximately $AUD1375 and has earned well over $1,500,000 in prizemoney. He was ruled out as a racer due to his leg joints being very weak. Takeover Target is owned and trained by Queanbeyan, New South Wales taxi driver Joe Janiak. Sired by Celtic Swing to dam Shady Stream, he did not made his debut until four years old. He had set a 7-race winning streak since his debut in April 2004, including the victory in the Group One Salinger Stakes in October that year. He was unbeaten in all of his starts in 2004.

In 2006, he won three Group 1 races including Lightning Stakes, Newmarket Handicap and Sprinters Stakes. After winning the Lightning Stakes, Takeover Target was invited to compete in the Royal Ascot carnival held in June in the United Kingdom.

Takeover Target's British campaign started successfully by claiming the Group 2 King's Stand Stakes (G2) on June 20, 2006. He finished third in the Golden Jubilee Stakes (G1) later that month.

Takeover Target then travelled to Japan, where he finished second in the Centaur Stakes (G2) to locally trained mare She Is Tosho. In the Sprinters Stakes Takeover Target defeated Meisho Bowler, Silent Witness and She Is Tosho, etc.

After his King's Stand Stakes win, Takeover Target was declared the best sprinter in the world.