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Kid gloves still on but Walker hopes to see Elite Power punch through again

3 minute read

Trainer Mark Walker was glad to see Elite Power return to winning ways but still treads carefully about getting a second win on the bounce out of him this Sunday.

Elite Power
Elite Power Picture: Singapore Turf Club

The English Listed winner has been consistently finishing in the Top 3 since his first Kranji win in a Class 3 race over 1000m last June, racking up three seconds in a row at his last three starts before finally going one better at his last start in another Class 3 speed dash over 1000m on February 6, lowering the colours of odds-on favourite Jomo.

Walker is not – yet - about to change a winning formula for the Elite Performance Stable-owned gelding by sticking to the same course and distance in a Kranji Stakes C Division 1 race three weeks later – and the same pilot, the in-form Noh Senari.

“Noh is riding in great form and the two kilos helped at his last start. With the 59.5kgs this time, it made sense to put him back on,” said the Kiwi handler.

“I would say the horse is in the same form as last time. Don’t forget he did not win by much (a neck) and he had a bit of luck as well.

“We have to be careful with him as he bled at his second start. I have to space his races.”

Elite Power came to Singapore with a handy record of three wins and four placings in England when known as Wick Powell and trained by North Yorkshire trainer David Barron.

The most notable of his three wins – all on turf - came in the Listed Totepool Two-Year-Old Trophy Stakes over six furlongs at Redcar on October 1, 2016.

Walker is not about to test Elite Power (rated at 79) at the elite level at his new base yet, but he will definitely expose him to more such races on turf other than his only one attempt from 11 local starts – his last 2018 run when he actually did well with a closing second to Nepean in a Class 3 race over 1200m.

“It won’t be long before I try him on turf again,” said the two-time Singapore champion trainer.

“I’ll just get this weekend run out of the way first. Like I said, I am mindful of his previous bleeding and I just have to manage his races carefully.

“Hopefully, he can make the grade.”

After a relatively slow start, Walker has steadily risen to currently sit second on the ladder on nine winners, one behind Cliff Brown, but with a stunning record of seconds – 16, by far the highest this season, an indication how the yard is in flying form, but was just a little short on luck.


Singapore Turf Club

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