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Fresh from his first season double over the weekend, trainer Tan Kah Soon had one more reason to be in good spirits after he watched his standard-bearer Clarton Super spin around at his first barrier trial from a long break on Tuesday morning.
With Tan’s apprentice jockey Wong Chin Chuen astride, the Swift Alliance six-year-old just cantered around the back, staying right there through the 1000m hit-out, finishing just under eight lengths off the winner Skywalk (Ben Thompson).
To Tan, it was the perfect first pipe-opener he needed ahead of his comeback race in the $1.5 million Group 1 Kranji Mile (1600m) on May 25. One more would be even better.
“It’s his first trial after a spell. We didn’t ask him to do too much,” said Tan who trained two winners on Sunday, Fire Away and Spur Me On.
“Jimmy (Wong) was happy with the run. I will probably give him another trial next week, we’ll see, the Kranji Mile is coming up in the following week.”
If he gets a run, Clarton Super , who is among 16 local nominations, will be at a second crack at the Invitational race. He ran a meritorious fourth to Southern Legend in last year’s inaugural edition.
The dual Group winner has not been seen since his fast-finishing third to Mister Yeoh in last November’s Group 2 EW Barker Trophy (1400m), a race he won the year before (his second Group win came in the Group 3 Fortune Bowl over 1400m last year) to put Tan on the Kranji map barely a few months into his tenure as a newly-licensed trainer.
It’s a daring gamble to take on such a race first-up given Clarton Super has not raced for six months, but the Godolphin-trained Penang-born horseman knows what it takes to get his wards ready, especially when they are not 100% sound.
“I’ve nominated him for the Kranji Mile. We’ll see how he pulls up after his trials and whether he gets there,” said Tan.
“He ran very well in the Barker, and I just gave him a break after that. With his feet issues, you have to manage him the best you can.”
With Clarton Super’s regular partner Azhar Ismail still not having sorted his employment pass issues, Wong was a natural choice as the Malaysian veteran jockey’s replacement.
“He just had a quiet trial. I just let him stride along at the back,” said the former two-time Singapore champion apprentice jockey.
“I don’t know him much as Azhar was the one who used to ride him, but everything seems to be fine with him.”
