3 minute read

Progressive four-year-old I’m Incredible benefitted from a smothered run from behind the speed to explode away to a smashing first-up win on Sunday.

The son of Lope De Vega was also picking up where he left off more than five months ago – a gutsy win in a Kranji Stakes D race over the mile despite a torrid trip skirting the field for Noh Senari.

That was precisely the reason why his trainer Shane Baertschiger thought he needed a longer recovery time. The pulsating 3 ¼-length win in the $50,000 Well Done 2016 Stakes, a Class 4 Division 2 race over 1400m was the stellar reward for his decision.

Held up in sixth place by jockey Vlad Duric, I'm Incredible was chomping on the bit behind a wall of horses. Once he found daylight between Trapio (Ben Thompson) and Green Star (Simon Kok Wei Hoong) at the 300m, he reeled in all those ahead of him to skip clear to an easy victory.

Baertschiger said he would have been disappointed had the $17 shot not scored first-up on the strength of his sparkling trial form, especially the last one that he took out with Duric aboard on July 11.

"He trialled very well last week. It's funny because he's good when he trials on Polytrack, but he's hopeless when he races on it," said the Australian handler.

"Last time, he won a tough race after being three to four wide. That's why I gave him a break straight after, and he's strengthened up since.

"On his trial, I thought he would have been unlucky not to win first-up. I will step him up to the mile next.

"If he progresses through his grades, he might be a Gold Cup horse."

The Group 1 Dester Singapore Gold Cup (2000m) is the third and final Leg of the Singapore Triple Crown series and will be run on November 10.

Sunday's win was handing Duric a race-to-race double after the two-time Singapore champion jockey had saluted aboard short-priced favourite On Line in the previous event.

"I last rode this horse when he went on Polytrack (ninth in a Kranji Stakes D race over 1200m). He went terrible on the Polytrack," said Duric.

"Shane gave him a freshen-up after his last run, and he's come back good. There was a nice tempo to the race, and he was relaxed throughout.

"I was wondering how he would break through coming to the corner. When I got myself a run, he quickened really well.

"He's a nice lightly-raced horse who's going to make it here."

I'm Incredible  has now taken his record to three wins and one second from seven starts for stakes earnings past the $70,000 mark for the Doha Stable.