July can call the shots in August

If they had to, they would have elbowed their fellow commuters in the ribswhen getting off the train at the Kranji station on July 21.

All because they feared being late for the first race.

Coincidentally, almost down to a man, their choice in Race 1 on that July afternoon was a horse aptly named July.

Trained by runaway leader Jason Ong, July had been working up a storm in the days leading up to that race and he looked a shoo-in for top honours.

Well, most of his fans must have gotten their bets through because July was eventually sent off as the $12 top pick in that sprint over the 1,200m.

Alas, it was not the kind of start to Derby Day as racegoers would have wanted.

July did not have the smoothest of trips. According to the stewards’ report, he was denied clear running in the early stages of the race.

To improve his position and get out of the traffic jam, his jockey Manoel Nunes had to do loads of work with the reins but that did not help the cause.

The three-year-old son of Brave Smash eventually rewarded only quartet backers when he nosed out Lim’s Fuji to take fourth spot.

Well, that was that. It was the third time in a row that July had been denied the breaks which are so important in a race.

On those other two occasions when he finished second – in a Class 5 1,100m race on Polytrack on June 16, followed by a Class 5 1,200m event on turf on June 30, both times ridden by jockey Ruan Maia – he had to race wide.

To compound matters, Maia lost his whip in that June 30 race.

Well, that is all in the past.

July has another date with the starter on Aug 4 – the Australian-bred gelding turns a year older on Aug 1, as with all horses foaled in the Southern Hemisphere – and his connections and fanswill be hoping he redeems himself.

He just might. You see, July was one of the star performers when brought out for work on the morning of July 30.

With in-form jockey Bruno Queiroz in the saddle, he was striding out fluently when covering the 600m in a breezy 42.6sec.

It was an honest piece of work and, if he carries that form to the races, he could be the one they might all have to beat.

Also working up a storm ahead of his next start was V’Invincible.

Taken out by Amirul Ismadi, V’Invincible disposed of the 600m in 42.3.

Prepared for the races by trainer Richard Lim and owned by Vgor Stable, the five-year-old Australian-bred gelding has one win to show from 15 races.

That victory in a Class 4 1,200m event on the Polytrack was on Jan 20. On the day, he gave the now-leading apprentice rider Jerlyn Seow her second winner for 2024.

The 31-year-old had, just a week earlier on Jan 14, brought home Surrey Hills to win the last race on the day.

As for V’Invincible, his runs this season have beenfew and far between. Since that win, he has had four runs in Class 4 and two of those races produced third-place finishes.

Right now, this son of I Am Invincible is running into some decent form and he will be going over his winning trip and track.

Weight should not be a problem as he will carry just 52.5kg.

His trainer has picked a winnable sort of race for him and, from his work on the training track, we know that he is in good order.

Yes, he deserves plenty of thought when you are planning your race strategy for that Class 4 contest on Aug 4.

The all-conquering Pacific Stable will again be well represented on Aug 4. They have six runners spread over the 10 races and one of their main hopefuls could be Pacific Commander.

He has a date with the starter in the Class 4 Division 2 race over the 1,200m on the Polytrack.

As a final prep before the action, jockey Daniel Moor took him out for a spin on the training track, where he covered the 600m in a swift time of 38.6.

Set to turn four on Aug 1, the son of Written By gets into the contest on Aug 4 on the back of a stylish win at his last start on the Polytrack on July 13.

That day, when ridden by Seow, he beat the $13 favourite Last Supper in the Class 4 1,100m race by a neck after unleashing a pulverising run wide out.

It was the Australian-bred gelding’s third win from 19 starts but hisnext outing could be his toughest assignment to date.

He meets some pretty good ones inthat upcoming race but we are beginning to feel that Pacific Commander is getting to be too smart for Class 4 company.

july30trackwork.pdf

brian@sph.com.sg