3 minute read
The weekend that just ended at Kranji provided the onlooker with both some excellent finishes and some ultra-competitive action as always.
Friday night played hosted to three Kranji Stakes C contests, a couple over 1400m and the other over what is deemed a stamina-sapping 2000m here in Singapore, and it was in that race that we saw the ‘ride of the night’ from Noh Senari on the previously flagged-up Wonderful Paint.
The grey would now have to be considered a serious long range chance in the Singapore Derby run on July 21 for Leslie Khoo who won the race as a rider way back in 1988 on Grand Illusion.
Sunday also made for a good day’s racing with the feature being the $100,000 Class 1 over 1200m which was to be fought out by the ‘Big Two’ and it was the ultra-talented Zac Kasa who got the better of the admirable Be Bee, who will shortly be joined by his little brother in the Shane Baertschiger barn. The second race on the card provided us with an emotional win for Ricardo Le Grange when Toosbies managed to break the maiden tag only a few days after the stable lost one of their stars, Majestic Moments. There was a quality-looking Novice race on the card that housed some very smart up-and-coming types and it is in this race where I was very taken by a fast finishing three-year-old.
Friday (15.02.19)
Race 4
The Stephen Gray team have been in good form of late, and amongst the winners such as King’s Speech and Larry, his horses have been running well without winning. One such horse was LARCENY (Marc Lerner) in the Kranji Stakes D (1200m) on Friday night. Twice a winner across the Causeway for Sharee Hamilton and given his age, he has not been over-raced for a seven-year-old with just 19 runs on his dance card.
LARCENY is a typical case of a horse just unable to compete at Class 4 level and when running in that grade for his first three starts here off higher marks, he has appreciated the ease in class and with the right conditions to suit, he can go a couple of places better for Team Copperbelt.
Advice: Having now shown a good bit more in Friday’s race and with several possible races to aim for next month, it is well worth siding with Larceny next time out at this level.
Race 5
Half an hour after Larceny’s good run in defeat, Gray would have had plenty to look forward to with the excellent run of the likeable OUR PINNACLE (Daniel Moor) for a staying-on fourth in the Kranji Stakes C won by DESTROYER ECLIPSE.
This four-year-old was not blessed with the kindest barrier racing from gate 12 and as a consequence he was almost forced to go right back to last and ride for plenty of luck. A winner over the 1400m back in September of last year when making all to beat the winners of four subsequent races (three individual) which included both Lucky Hada and the smart Top Knight in the process he was drawn in gate 8 and since that victory he has been allotted barrier 12 in two runs since and as a result has been ridden more conservatively. It is also worth noting that he was 10kgs heavier than at his previous start and only one kilo shy of his winning body weight which would suggest he is still maturing physically. A closing sectional of 22.70 tells a pivotal part of the story here and having travelled well throughout, once asked for more effort by Moor, the son of the late Pins responded generously to make up a number of lengths in the final furlong of the race.
A very well related horse, he is full brother to the New Zealand Guineas (G1) and Levin Classic (G1) winner Madison County who has excelled at the mile and judged on the finishing prowess of his big brother, there is every possibility that OUR PINNACLE can only improve once upped in distance by his masterful trainer.
Gray and his connections have high hopes for this thoroughly likeable galloper and a bit like the horse’s dam Red Delicious, he can prove to be the apple of many pair’s eyes connected to this quality individual.
Advice: An above average gelding with a taking pedigree and racing attitude, he is a horse to follow for the remainder of the year and it would be no surprise to see him land a valuable prize along the way.
Sunday (17.02.19)
Race 3
Trainer James Peters has got his team in good form currently and can boost a record of three winners from his last 10 runners. Several horses ran eye-catching races in defeat, such as the likes of newcomer to the stable Well Deserved and STREET PARTY (Ben Thompson) who shall be the subject of Sunday’s ‘Child’s Play’ horse to follow.
This Green Street Bloodstock-owned son of Congrats lined up in what was a mouth-watering Novice contest at 2.10pm Sunday afternoon with the recent Restricted Maiden winners SIAM MP (Glen Boss) and WINNING HOBBY (Azhar Ismail) both making only their second racecourse appearances. Also in the field were the wonderfully consistent FAME STAR (Vlad Duric), who would go on to land the race in a protracted battle up the straight with WINNING HOBBY. The race had the added spice of the Group-placed MO ALMIGHTY (Michael Rodd) for the in-form Cliff Brown and who ran an honest race for third in the end, but the eyes were drawn to STREET PARTY who was resuming after a break of some 79 days since losing his maiden status in comfortable style on the Polytrack.
Starting nice and cleanly, STREET PARTY was allowed to drift back and find a nice spot, racing a little worse than midfield in a race were they ran 24.63 for the first 400m and once pulled wide in the straight for clear sailing, he took a little while to find his stride. But once he did so, Thompson was able to get a sweet tune out of the three-year-old to finish off the race very well indeed and in the process record a final 400m sectional in 22.98. Although achieving his sole win to-date on the all-weather, STREET PARTY is a better horse on the turf. You only must look through his early form over slightly further and some of the horses he has raced around, the likes of Siam Vipasiri, Top Knight and MO ALMIGHTY who finished ahead of him on this occasion.
It would seem rather plausible that the next time we see STREET PARTY in action, it will be over slightly further. He is still not the finished article just yet and can deliver plenty more improvement. Given the fact he is raced by such a professional outfit, his campaign will be well plotted and I believe there is every possibility he can get very competitive in races such as the Group 2 Singapore Three-Year-Old Classic and the Group 1 Singapore Guineas should connections wish to go for such races.
Advice: A run full of promise at the weekend and is a horse who will continue to show improvement during 2019 for a trainer whose horses are really beginning to hit their straps.
