3 minute read

A big weight drop sees classy stayer Hard Too Think well placed to land another Group 1 feature in Sunday’s Singapore Gold Cup (2000m) at Kranji.

Hard Too Think has been terrific this year with two majors - the Singapore Derby and Queen Elizabeth II Cup – already in the bag and looks perfectly weighted to land another.

The Stephen Gray-trained gelding has had a month off since his QE II Cup win over 1800m where he sat just off the speed and proved too tough.

He has been kept up to the mark with a trial and a looks suited going up in trip having won his only previous attempt at 2000m.

Hard Too Think won the QE II Cup under 58kg so he looks well placed with just 52.5kg on his back and Marc Lerner sticks in search of his fifth win at his sixth ride on the five-year-old.

Lim's Lightning is one Singapore's best with two G1 wins under the belt this season including his last appearance in the Raffles Cup over a mile in September when he started a hot favourite and was dominant by almost 4 lengths.

Lim's Lightning did suffer a setback that saw him miss a lead-up but he trialled well recently and has been set for this.

He is untried at the distance but Danny Beasley has a strong record on his back and class will take the six-year-old a long way.

Last year's winner Big Hearted returns for another attempt and must be one of the chances.

He wasn't far off them in the QE II and had chased Hard Too Think and Lim's Lightning home to place in the Singapore Derby and Raffles Cup respectively at his previous two outings.

Last year's win was his only attempt at 2000m and he gives the impression he will relish the return to the trip.

Top Knight was a beaten favourite when last seen in the QE II but the performance was better than it appeared on paper having finished less than 3L astern of Hard Too Think.

He split Lim's Lightning and Big Hearted when runner up in the Raffles Cup before that so has form in the right races and placed in this last year in his only attempt at the journey.

So Hi Class closed well to place in the QE II Cup so can play a role again with another 200m to work with.