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Jockey Benny Woodworth is banking on Sacred Gift to keep going on an upward spiral this Saturday.
The Zoustar four-year-old was very impressive at his two Kranji starts, winning both Polytrack speed scampers over 1000m with relative ease under the Malaysian gun rider.
Sacred Gift is part of a trio of four-year-olds that powerful outfit Raffles Racing Stable has recently sent to champion trainer Mark Walker, as a follow-up to the successful run they enjoyed with the likes of Sacred Croix and Sacred Rebel last year at Walker's third premiership-winning season.
The other two have not saluted yet, but Sacred Judgement has given a peek of what he has under the bonnet at his Kranji debut in a Class 4 race over 1200m on January 10, running on for third to the smart Siam Warrior while Sacred Accord (x O'Reilly) is unplaced in two starts last November.
Sacred Judgement will also face the starter this Saturday, in the $50,000 Class 4 Division 2 race over 1200m. Sacred Gift will try to maintain his unbeaten run two races earlier in the $50,000 Class 4 race over 1100m on Polytrack.
Woodworth will be the pilot on both Raffles Racing Stable-owned gallopers. He is unsurprisingly more bullish about Sacred Gift, but does expect further improvement from the stablemate.
"Sacred Gift ran and won very well at his two starts," said Woodworth, who came off his best Singapore season last year with a runner-up finish on 69 winners, 19 behind the champion Vlad Duric.
"The first win (Open Maiden on January 4) was like a trial. It was his first start, and I looked after him and didn't give him a hard run.
"At the second win (Class 4), I had to hit him just to remind him he had a job to finish.
"I've kept riding him in work since and I would say he has maintained his form and he should run an improved race this Saturday.
"The only thing is his barrier manners. He's been loaded last and (Singapore Turf Club starter) John Pepe has done a great job with him, so far so good.
"Sacred Judgement also ran very well. He dropped the bit from the 600m to 500m, and usually when horses do that and drop to third or fourth, they don't come back, but this one did.
"He's a So You Think and I think he needs more ground. Fingers crossed, he shows some improvement this time."
Woodworth has been the privileged partner of Dato Yap Kin San's Raffles Racing Stable horses – all with Walker - since last year, and hopes to see the yellow, purple and white checked silks, soar to greater heights with their new acquisitions.
"Sacred Gift was not cheap. He was the most expensive of the three Raffles horses brought in," he said.
"The idea is to see them carry on in the same vein as the Sacred Croix and Sacred Rebel. Only Sacred Accord has not shown much yet, but maybe he needs more time."
