3 minute read
If one looks at the formline and the company Reddot Rising recently mixed it with, he is totally out of his depth in Sunday’s $200,000 Group 3 Moonbeam Vase (1600m).
The sparingly-raced Nadeem six-year-old won at his last start in a Class 4 Non Premier race over 1400m on July 20, just scraping past Billy Mojo, hardly competing material that stacks up well for a stab at Group glory next against the likes of proven elite performers Mr Clint, Elite Excalibur, Preditor, Bahana and Nova Strike.
On weights and measures, the dichotomy is even more pronounced. Reddot Rising would be a no-hoper and way out of the equation.
With a rating of 66, he is in receipt of only three kilos (six points) from the top-rater Majestic Moments, who on 107 points is over 20 kilos better than him!
But such are the handicapping terms of the Moonbeam Vase. With the very first premise that horses with five wins – regardless of class - or less to kick off a baseline of 52kgs, with an extra kilo added on for another win up to 55kgs, horses at the lower end of the rating scale were already on a hiding to nothing.
The weight compression between such disparately-rated horses would have deterred most connections, but not trainer Saimee Jumaat and owner George Tay of Mugung Equine Stable.
Saimee said while it may look like foolhardiness, with not many racing options for Reddot Rising, the Moonbeam Vase was more like a Hobson’s choice.
And besides, he said Tay was the kind of owner who is game enough to have a crack!
“There were no other races for Reddot Rising. It’s all Polytrack racing until mid-September (23) when I have spotted a Kranji Stakes C race over 1400m for him,” said the former eight-time Singapore champion jockey.
“But what does he do in between? The Moonbeam Vase was an option, even if at the handicap, he would be at a major disadvantage.
“But George, the owner is very game and didn’t mind the idea of having a runner in a Group race. He was game enough to pay the high entry fee ($535).”
No doubt, Reddot Rising, whose first 12 runs and two wins (Restricted Maiden and Class 4) came under trainer Stephen Gray’s polish as far back as March 2016, has got off to a great start in two runs for his new handler, but Saimee remained realistic.
“The horse is in good form, and has done nothing wrong since he came to me. He had two runs for one third and one win for me,” he said.
“We’re throwing him in at the deep end for sure, but whatever he does, it will do him some good to run in such a race.
“Realistically, he has no chance against so many top horses, even if it’s slightly more open now that Infantry is out. I’d still be shocked if he wins, but let’s see how he measures up, and we’ll have a better idea where he is at.”
For the steering job, Saimee has booked Malaysian veteran jockey Saifudin Ismail, who will be jumping aboard Reddot Rising for the first time. They have drawn badly in 13 from 15.
