Charismatic aiming to make impact first-up

Veteran trainer Leslie Khoo is under no illusion his new filly Charismatic has her job cut out on Saturday.

But if there is one factor that gives the former top jockey some degree of confidence that the former Victorian galloper will not be completely obliterated in the $110,000 Group 3 Singapore Three-Year-Old Sprint (1,200m) on Saturday, it is her fitness.

“She’s fit. So, I thought why not?” said Khoo.

The Singaporean handler said he had never pencilled in the first leg of the Singapore Three-Year-Old Challenge as a target for the Cat Racing Stable newcomer, let alone a debut run.

Unplaced in three runs in Australia when known as Cabra Colleen, the Wandjina three-year-old’s last-minute slot among her more accomplished peers did raise a few eyebrows. Khoo, however, said that as much as he was responding to a call from the handicapper to make up the numbers, he would not call Charismatic a stop-gap measure.

“She came here as a three-year-old with a rating of 55. So, she already qualified,” he said.

“She came late last year, though. That’s why I had not really set her for the three-year-old races.

“But when the handicappers informed trainers on the messaging group that there were not enough entries for the Sprint, I thought why not have a shot.

“She trialled very well in both her pre-NR (pre-new registration trial) and barrier trial. I wished she had one more trial, though.”

Khoo, who, incidentally, has yet to break his Group race voodoo since relocating from Ipoh to Kranji in 2008, is aware this may not be his best chance to get the monkey off his back.

But there was something about Charismatic that – as her name suggests – grabbed his attention.

“The owner, Albert Ow of Cat Racing Stable, bought her himself. When I first saw the filly, I told the owner I liked her a lot,” he said.

“She’s got a nice size and nice weight, around 480kg. She’s a nice-looking filly and I think she can have a nice future here.

“I’ve known Albert for a long time. He’s got horses with Jerome Tan (Big Tiger and Big Day) and he recently decided to support me.

“He’s also sent me two more horses, who are also fillies, Golden Forty and Rich And Charm.”

Khoo said those two will need a bit more time but hopes his first association with the Malaysian outfit can reap dividends soon.

Big Tiger and Big Day are no world beaters but have been handy money spinnners for Cat Racing Stable’s eye-catching, all-American, star-spangled silks with eight wins between them.

Khoo revealed he initially asked A’Isisuhairi Kasim to ride Charismatic at home but, with the Malaysian rider already pre-booked in the Sprint, he had to look elsewhere.

“Harry Kasim was the one who rode her in work and in her trials. But because he was already committed to Michael Clements’ horse (Coin Toss), I got Zyrul (Nor Azman) instead,” said Khoo.

“Zyrul rode her in slow work mainly.

“I’ve used Zyrul a fair bit and we’ve had some wins together.”

The pairing have combined for three wins, with Strong N Smart their last hurrah on May 22, 2021.

Since moving back to Kranji in 2017, the New Zealand-trained Zyrul has not opened his account in a feature race either.

That day may have to wait, with Charismatic likely to start at mammoth odds against proven performers like Pacific Hero, Bransom, Takanini, Coin Toss and Bestseller, but Khoo said she had nothing to lose.

“Though she was a bit of a last-minute entry, she is fit and ready and deserves a place in the race,” he said.

“It’ll be tough against the good three-year-olds we have this year.

“But you never know in racing. In any case, I’ll see how she goes.

“She’s definitely looking for more ground, up to a mile, so I may run her in the other legs, too.”

The second leg of the Singapore Three-Year-Old Challenge is the Group 2 Singapore Three-Year-Old Classic (1,400m) on April 29 while the Group 2 Singapore Guineas (1,600m) is held again after a two-year break and will be slated as the grand final on May 20.