3 minute read
Trainer Cliff Brown had two shots in the Derby “consolation” stakes on Sunday, and though the resounding win from Gold Strike was cheerfully greeted, it was still a bit of a bittersweet win.
Gold Strike was struck off the Singapore Derby list as EA2 while Brown also saddled the EA1 Threeandfourpence, the one widely regarded as the most deserved starter to have been denied his berth in the $1 million Group 1 race.
But no amount of pleading could have made the supreme authority of the handicapper's calculator budge. On ratings, Threeandfourpence missed out by one point, and that was it.
Unsurprisingly, the special Derby purchase from UK was the one to draw the most admirers ($12 favourite) of Brown's duo in the $70,000 Better Life Stakes, the Class 3 race over the Derby journey of 1800m while Gold Strike ($61) was hardly given a second glance – quite unfairly as it would turn out eventually.
At the 600m, Threenandfourpence (Michael Rodd) was still living up to that lofty reputation as he came off a rearward spot to whip around the field four wide on the rain-soaked track.
So eye-catching was the progress made that not many would have noticed his stablemate Gold Strike staying in his slipstream under an astute ride from visiting Melbourne jockey Ben Melham.
Into the home straight, the race-leader Lionrockspirit (Simon Kok Wei Hoong) had had enough with Star Jack (Marc Lerner) in his conspicuous yellow earmuffs the first to pounce.
But the Japanese-bred seemed dour in his action as well. All eyes then turned to Brown's first-elect, but to his supporters' dismay, Threeandfourpence could not sustain his searching run and actually started to struggle.
Brown knew there and then his leading hope was gone, but he luckily could count on his "second-stringer" to save the day. Revelling better in the wet track, Gold Strike charged clear inside the last furlong to go and score a soft win.
Richebourg (Benny Woodworth) steamed home late to snatch second place two and one half lengths away, beating Star Jack into third place by half-a-length. The winning time was 1min 49.55secs for the 1800m on the Long Course.
A concerned Brown rushed straight to Threeandfourpence's side to check on his charge first before heading back to the winner's circle, luckily with reassuring news.
"Michael said he just didn't handle the track. His wheels were spinning," said the Australian handler.
"When he is on the bit, he's fine, when he's off the bit, his legs are everywhere. Hopefully, he'll bounce back.
"The winner ran great. He deserved it as he ran very well in the lead-up (to the Singapore Four-Year-Old Challenge).
"He appreciated the wet track today and won a nice race."
Melham, who is in town to ride the Michael Clements-trained Eye Guy in the Group 1 Singapore Derby later, was recording his second win at Kranji.
He flew in for a similar pitstop visit last year to ride Filibuster, incidentally for Brown, in the Group 3 Singapore Three-Year-Old Sprint (1200m), but was not successful. He, however, did not go home empty-handed with one win on Cerdan for Lee Freedman and the Arexevan Racing Stable.
With that faultless ride aboard Gold Strike, the Golden Slipper-winning jockey (She Will Reign in 2017) has again got on the Kranji scoresheet ahead of his main assignment.
"I think he was effective in the ground. We got back on the favourite's back, he got into a lovely rhythm," said Melham.
"I thought the favourite would take us further. My horse clicked really well into gear and won well.
"I think the track is racing evenly, horses have won from the front and we've come from the back of the field."
With that fifth success from 14 starts, the Irish-bred son of Iffraaj has now amassed more than $170,000 in stakes earnings for the Gold Stable.
