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Top Knight lived up to his short odds to score a thumping win in the $800,000 Group 1 Singapore Guineas (1600m) on Saturday.
The son of Zoustar was the overwhelming $9 favourite following his nail-biting win in the second Leg of the Singapore Three-Year-Old Challenge (Group 2 Singapore Three-Year-Old Classic over 1400m), but not many had expected to see him race away in such dominant fashion at the business end of the third and final Leg.
Held up in the rear division, Top Knight actually improved noticeably to be closer to the leading pack than usual, with the effect that he was already within striking distance at the point of the turn.
Upfront joint leaders Pennywise (Karis Teetan) and Makkem Lad (Wong Chin Chuen) had worn each other out after eye-balling each other in the first half of the race.
Former juvenile champion Lim’s Lightning (Zac Purton) was the surprising challenger to draw first blood as the leading pair waved the white flag at the 400m, with the well-backed Elite Incredible (Michael Rodd) sticking on down the middle of the track.
A two-way tussle looked on the cards, but Top Knight in his light blue silks was descending from the skies on the outside. It might have taken a fraction of a second for Michael Clements’ charge to go through his gears, but once he hit top speed, the race was all over bar the shouting.
Pinning his ears back, Top Knight ruthlessly swooped down on his rivals, forging clear to an unassailable lead en route to an impressive one-and-three-quarter-length victory from Elite Incredible with Lim’s Lightning bravely holding on for third place another nose away.
One of the eye-catching runs certainly belonged to longshot Mo Almighty (Troy See) who was among the backmarkers from the outset, but who came with a withering run on the outside to just miss out on a podium finish by a short head.
Top Knight clocked the smart time of 1min 34secs for the mile on the Long Course, 0.72 second outside the record established by Magneto in 2014.
Clements was a relieved man at the winner’s circle. All the hard graft to get his big team of five runners ready for the Grand Final has paid off with the beacon carrier coming up trumps, and in such devastating style to boot. The other four runners did not fare as well, with Siam Vipasiri (Glen Boss) the best of the rest in a meritorious fifth place, but it was still happy days for the Zimbabwean-born conditioner and Thai outfit Falcon Racing No 7 Stable.
“It’s been a long way to get Top Knight there as he raced some time ago. He had a beautiful prep and he’s such an easy horse to train,” said Clements.
“He took a bit of time to wind up and was looking to make hard work of it, but he quickened up good and was very strong to the line.
“He’s definitely looking for longer distances now. It was fantastic to win a Group 1 on such a big night (no pun intended).”
In winning the Singapore Guineas, Duric was notching two Group 1 wins back-to-back, but the champion jockey was his usual cool calm and collected at the winner’s dais.
“It’s all about the horse, but yes, it’s a great result (to land two Group 1 races one after another),” said the two-time Singapore champion jockey.
“He’s a very good horse who’s getting better and better. He had a good run at the back, but I did have to push him down the back to hold his position.
“He got into a nice spot at the 800m, and from that point, he was just building up momentum. He’s every jockey’s dream horse.
“I think he could be a Gold Cup horse. I ride a lot for the Falcon Racing Stable and it’s good to repay them with a Group 1 win.”
The Group 1 Dester Singapore Gold Cup (2000m) is the third Leg of the Singapore Triple Crown series and will be run on November 10.
Having won two Legs of the Singapore Three-Year-Old Challenge, Top Knight also picks up a bonus of $50,000 on top of the $470,000 first prize paycheque that has now doubled up his stakes earnings to edge closer to the $900,000 mark for the Falcon Racing No 7 Stable.
