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Trainer Cliff Brown is rueing his bad luck at the barriers with his big team of runners in Saturday’s $800,000 Group 1 Singapore Guineas (1600m), the third and final Leg of the Singapore Three-Year-Old Challenge, but as usual, took it in his stride, knowing that races are won on the track not at the draw.
Of his quartet of three-year-olds, Gold Star is the only one to have drawn decently in barrier four in the capacity 16-horse field while Hardcore pulled Lucky 13 and Mo Almighty and his leading chance Elite Incredible were the worst off in 16 and 17 respectively – to be dropped to 15 and 16 after withdrawals, but they’re still in the carpark.
Brown has seen worse, but had thought with strength in numbers, the law of statistics would have been kinder to him.
“How did I get 16 and 17, the two worst gates? With four runners, you’d expect a 3, 5, 9 and maybe one bad one, but three bad ones?” said the Australian handler who also saddles more than one runner in the other two marquee events – Debt Collector and Elite Excalibur in the $1.5 million Group 1 Kranji Mile (1600m) and Mister Yeoh and Zac Kasa in the $800,000 Group 1 Lion City Cup (1200m), but enjoyed better luck there.
“Anyway, it is what it is. At least, all four are in good shape and the mile doesn’t worry me.”
Brown said Argentinian-bred Elite Incredible (x Valid Stripes) is still his No 1 runner even if he is the only maiden of the four. Gold Star (x Redente) is a two-time winner (1200m and 1400m), Hardcore (x All Too Hard) is the only one to have run over the mile, incidentally scoring his only win over that journey, while Mo Almighty (x Uncle Mo) won once as a two-year-old (1200m) but has found the going a touch harder as a three-year-old.
Still, Elite Incredible will have to pull off something really incredible from the outermost alley, especially against such quality three-year-olds like trainer Michael Clements’ second Leg Group 2 Singapore Three-Year-Old Classic (1400m) winner Top Knight and Donna Logan’s Makkem Lad.
“Elite Incredible ran enormous in the Classic (narrow third to Top Knight). He has trained on but he would have had a better chance if he had drawn better,” said Brown who won the Singapore Guineas with Debt Collector in 2016..
“He is a horse who rolls forward, but I think he’ll still be thereabouts. You can’t change the barrier, it’s Michael’s problem now.”
Gold Star, who will have apprentice jockey Amirul Ismadi up, might have been more fortunate than his three stablemates barrier-wise, but he was the one who came back with the hard-luck stories in the Classic.
“Gold Star was pretty unlucky at his last run. He got checked before the turn and up the straight,” he said.
“He was beaten over 1 ½ lengths. I don’t think he would have won without the interference but he could have finished half-a-length behind.
“He’s the only one with a good barrier. He’s with Elite Incredible my two best chances.”
That doesn’t mean Brown would be stunned if Mo Almighty or Hardcore acquitted themselves well, too.
“Forget Mo Almighty ran last time (in the Classic). He was trapped wide,” said Brown.
“Hardcore ran very well at his last start (flying second from near-last in a Class 4 race over the mile) even though he was drawn awkwardly. Hopefully, the wide draw again doesn’t affect him.
“Elite Incredible and Gold Star are in the mix, but the other two are also well. It might surprise some if they put in a good run, but it won’t surprise me as much.”
Brown has booked Troy See on Mo Almighty and A’Isisuhairi Kasim, the jockey who rode his late staying star Gilt Complex to victory at odds in the 2017 Group 1 Raffles Cup (1800m), on Hardcore.
