3 minute read
Jockey Daniel Moor was in a good position to give his view on two of the contenders to the second Leg of the Singapore Three-Year-Old Challenge, the $400,000 Group 2 Singapore Three-Year-Old Classic (1400m) on May 3 – Lim’s Lightning and No Fun No Gain.
The Australian jockey rode the Stephen Gray-trained No Fun No Gain in the first Leg, the Group 3 JBBA Singapore Three-Year-Old Sprint (1200m) on April 5. They ran eighth, but only less than four lengths off the winner Bold Thruster.
In the same race, 2018 juvenile champion Lim’s Lightning finished four spots ahead only 1 ¼ lengths off Bold Thruster.
Moor is sticking with No Fun No Gain in the second Leg but got to jump on Lim’s Lightning (in replacement of Troy See) at the barrier trials on Tuesday.
Though the son of Lope De Vega was racing keenly, Moor had him restrained mid-trial before allowing him to stride out to fifth place around 5 ½ lengths off the winner Zac Kasa (Michael Rodd).
Having steered Lim's Lightning to the last of his four wins in a Class 3 race over 1200m in October, Moor was a well-heeded man by trainer Steven Burridge and racing manager Mick Dittman when he jumped off.
“He trialled very nicely this morning, I was just warming the saddle. I can tell he has matured since I last rode him,” said Moor.
“It’ll be a test for him in the second Leg, but it’ll be a test for others as well. Steve (Burridge) and the team have done a fantastic job with him; he is in as good a shape as they could have got him in.
“I won’t be on him, though. I will be riding No Fun No Gain, who, if you ask me, is in a similar situation as Lim’s Lightning; he’s still learning his trade.
“We are trying to ride him quiet. He won two races on raw ability."
Being still a colt, the son of Pins is not the most straightforward of commodities, even if the potential is there to be tapped into.
“We want him to sit off and sprint as he has a nice turn of foot. He’s been trialling much better, but he is a work in progress,” said Moor.
“If he matures further, he’ll be running well. We’ve just kept him ticking over since his last run.
“As he’s a colt, he’s more difficult to deal with as you tend to jazz him up too much. He’s still a young horse and is still maturing.”
Moor wouldn’t swap rides at this stage, even if he felt Lim’s Lightning has come on since his last start, an opinion shared by Burridge.
“I’m happy enough with him. He’s put in some nice work since his last run,” said Burridge.
“He’s a strong big horse. We just have to keep him up to the mark until raceday.”
Even if Lim’s Lightning will be tackling the seven furlongs for the first time, Burridge was reasonably confident his ward won’t be found out by the trip.
“It seems to be the right race for him. Hopefully he can run 1400m,” he said.
“We rode him quiet at his last start. He was plodding away; they went mad and he was second-up.
“Hopefully he can measure up. A lot will depend on the draw, too.”
