3 minute read

An outstanding ride by Oliver Doleuze guided Chinchon to victory in the $3m, Group 1 Singapore Airlines International Cup (2000m) at Kranji on Sunday night.

The Carlos Laffon-Parias trained seven-year-old Marju entire gave no excuses for his opponents with a dashing winning margin of 3L.

The race was held up after City Style reared and threw jockey Michael Barzalona backwards out of the barriers. City Style subsequently refused to load again and eventually was a late scratching for the Godolphin stable.

Waikato led out from the barrier as the field went past the winning post for the first time with Flax taking over at the start of the back straight. Zazou was third followed by Zaidan, Speed Baby and California Memory.

Doleuze was quietly settled fourth last with1200m to run, hard against the rails and not wasting a metre of ground.

The order stayed the same as the field entered the sweeping bottom turn with Flax sweeping ahead into the main straight. With 500m to run the speed increased and only then did Doleuze send Chinchon forward and going one out from the rails.

With 300m to run Flax was still giving a fine sight for Singapore with the David Hill trained five-year-old by Silvano giving the locals hope that they might gain a second Group 1 after the earlier victory of Ato in the Group 1 KrisFlyer International Sprint (1200m).

However, Hong Kong based Doleuze, who was released by trainer John Moore to ride Chinchon, had his charge striding forward at exactly the right moment. Flax was on the rails and Chinchon showed a fine turn of foot slicing through between Zazou and Zaidan in the middle of the track.

Doleuze guided Chinchon through with fluent ease and away they went reaching the lead with 150m to run and going forward to win comprehensively.

Zaidan was second was an excellent substitute for Xtension from the Moore stable, with Flax giving a fine sight for third. Zazou was fourth and El Dorado fifth.

Spanish born Laffon-Parias was not in attendance at Kranji after his father passed away.

“I am very honoured to be able to ride in this beautiful race and especially for Carlos who lost his Dad yesterday which makes this even more emotional,” said Doleuze.

“I took my chances, when you get a second chance you have to be confident and that what I did today.

“I took the risk to be on the inside during the race and Felix (California Memory) improved in front of me and took me into the race and we could finish off well.

“With the cut out of the ground it made a big difference and I was travelling like the winner the whole way,” he said.

Laffon-Parias, a regular top ten trainer in France, is no stranger to Singapore with Sarrasin running in the 2004 Cup for seventh while Balius was third to Jay Peg in 2008. Chinchon was fifth in the race last year.

Chinchon, out of the Irish mare Jarama, won the Group 3 Prix Exbury over 2000m on March 17th and then was unplaced in the Group 1 Audamars Piguet Queen Elizabeth II Cup over 2000m at Sha Tin on April 29th.

This was his seventh win from 27 starts and with eight placings he has now earned stakes of S$2.6 million.