3 minute read
The Lee Freedman trained Circuit Mission has all but assured his place in this year's Group 1 Singapore Derby following an impressive display in the third event on Sunday.
Successful in bringing up the hat-trick, Circuit Mission continues to improve and is delivering on the promise he showed in the UK.
Formerly under the care of Hugo Palmer [Old Name: Curiosity], Circuit Mission won two of his eight starts, including four minor placings.
He notably finished second in The Brittania [1600m] at Royal Ascot and also finished second at the July Cup meeting.
Leaving the UK shores rated 108 by Timeform, he is already one of the highest rated horses in Singapore, both Debt Collector and Lim's Cruiser share top billing at 112.
Worth noting a Timeform rating of 108 would see you in the finish of every Derby run to date.
Barring Quechua who returned a rating of 114 in 2015, generally 109 has been the sweet spot for past Derby winners.
Sunday's performance saw him return a Timeform rating of 88, indicating he still has a fair bit of improvement to come.
Circuit Mission kicked off his career with Freedman over 1200m (20/01/19) and while missing the placings, he clearly should have won.
Sent out the very short priced favourite at his next start ($1.40), Circuit Mission failed to fire, but has since gone on to win his next three straight.
Admittedly it’s never easy with these imports, as more often than not they struggle to recapture their best form, however he is certainly on track.
One thing worth noting is that he is still yet to find himself in a strongly run affair.
Taken forward to lead on Sunday, Circuit Mission was given all the favours and in the end sprinted home nicely (as expected).
He clocked 34.85 for his final 600m, close to 12L inside standard for that distance range, in short, his rivals had little chance.
When formerly raced in the UK he found himself in truly run races and we really saw what was under the bonnet.
In comparison his fastest effort (time ratings) in Singapore (21/04/2019) is still 10L slower than what he produced at Newmarket in his final start for Palmer.
Would really love to see him let rip out in front, as a sit and sprint affair can be very messy and while it worked on Sunday, still feel he will be much better served in a true test of stamina.
Likely to be seen in the Steward's Cup [1600m] at his next outing, fingers crossed for a solidly run mile!
He remains one of the more promising horses in Singapore and can be followed with confidence.
