3 minute read
The highest-rated horse on the Malayan Racing Association (MRA) circuit is about to make his Kranji debut in the $800,000 Group 1 Raffles Cup (1600m) on Sunday.
Truson was an 18-time winner in Malaysia when trained by Stephen Cook (14 wins) and Shane Edwards (four wins), including four at Malaysian Group 1 level – one won each year consecutively: The Coronation Cup (1600m) in 2016, the Piala Emas Sultan Selangor (2000m) in 2017, the Perak Derby (2400m) in 2018 and the Selangor Gold Cup (1600m) last month.
After that last Group 1 triumph, the eight-year-old son of Al Maher overtook Debt Collector on 122 points to top MRA's ratings list on 126 points.
With Truson having virtually nothing left to prove in Malaysia, his owners, the Buffalo Stable, decided it was time he was sent across the Causeway for the bigger riches in Singapore, bucking the trend of past-their-best Singapore-trained horses heading north to Malaysia in a bid to resurrect their careers.
The Group 1 Dester Singapore Gold Cup (2000m) is clearly the main goal, but as a starter, the first Leg of the Singapore Triple Crown series – which winds up with the Singapore Gold Cup on November 10 – was the ideal springboard to kick things off.
New trainer Cliff Brown, who already prepares a few horses for the Buffalo Stable, couldn't be happier with the way his latest ward has come through his Singapore preparation.
"He's good. He came to us in beautiful order from Shane Edwards, I had a good chat with Shane about him," said the Australian handler.
"We gave him a trial so he gets a bit of a run. The mile might be far for him first-up but it'll give us a good guide where he is at."
Ridden by Daniel Moor, Truson led from start to finish in Tuesday's hit-out, strolling in by two and a quarter lengths from Baccarat (Alysha Collett), without being fully extended.
Moor, who will be Truson's first Kranji race-partner, jumped off after the winning barrier trial with a thumbs-up ahead of his first big test on Sunday.
"He is light-mouthed, I didn't want to disturb him too much," said the Australian jockey.
"He came here with a big rating, albeit we know that the Malaysian form is not as good, but gee, he gave me a great feel, he's very sound. I watched his videos and he's a go-forward type and beat some nice horses there.
"I think it's a pretty open Raffles Cup and I think he can run a bold race first-up."
Brown is incidentally bidding for a fourth Raffles Cup in a row (won with Debt Collector in 2016 and 2018 and Gilt Complex in 2017). A four-timer is not a record in itself as past legends Teh Choon Beng and Laurie Laxon share the record number of wins (four) in the race named after Singapore's founder Sir Stamford Raffles, but to score them on the trot will be a first.
To give himself every chance to achieve the feat, Brown is gang-tackling the feature race with four more horses, Circuit Land, another recent stable transfer, but this time from fellow Kranji trainer Lee Freedman, Elite Excalibur, Mister Yeoh and the two-Leg winner of the Singapore Four-Year-Old Challenge, bonny mare What's New.
"Circuit Land is getting long in the tooth like us. He will need some cut in the ground to be at his best probably, but this run will give us a true guide to his current form," he said.
"The new Brazilian jockey Luan Machado will ride Elite Excalibur. He seems to be a good jockey while Elite Excalibur has come on and is all good.
"Mark Zahra is good friends with the owner of Mister Yeoh, Nick Turnbull. He's a wonderful rider.
"1600m is a query, I would have preferred a Jumbo Jet Trophy (1400m) as a lead-up like last year, but Mister Yeoh's still done really well (third) in the Merlion Trophy (1200m). If he settles, he will get the mile.
"As for What's New, she's a great miler. She'll be first-up over the mile, but I'm not concerned by that, she wouldn't have been suited by the Merlion Trophy over 1200m first-up.
"All is in order. It would be great to win a fourth Raffles Cup, but Countofmontecristo will be terribly hard to beat."
