Gold City set for Sunday
The best gallops from the training track
While the Moonbeam Vase is shaping up to be a race to savour, the undercard on Sunday should also throw up some really interesting races.
In particular, there are the two Kranji Stakes B contests over the 1,600m and the 1,000m.
In the 1,600m event, slated down as Race 8 on Sunday, that's where Gold City will want to show her versatility.
And she looks to be in good enough condition to do just that. Provided, of course, she brings her trackform to the races.
The five-year-old was in rattling form at work yesterday morning when, with Craig Grylls in the saddle, she ran the 600m in 38.1sec.
It wasn't the swiftest of hit-outs but Gold City has no sprinter pretensions and, for one who looks like a solid middle-distance runner, it was a solid workout.
Trained by Cliff Brown for Gold Stable, the mare has banked in cheques in all of her last five outings, the icing on the cake being that victory in May when she charged home to score over the 1,800m on grass.
Sent out as the $17 favourite, she beat O'Reilly's Dancer by a neat half length.
It was her second win, having won a 1,200m race on debut in October last year.
Last time out in July, she had a torrid run. Twice in the 2,000m race, she was held up for clear running and when she did see daylight, she charged home.
But the damage had been done and a third-place finish behind Star Jack was all she could manage.
Gold City is better than that and a drop in trip could be just what she needs.
MOKASTAR
In the other Kranji Stakes B race - a 1,000m contest at set weights - Mokastar should make his presence felt against the likes of Zac Kasa and Marine Treasure.
The last-start winner worked with Moonbeam Vase hopeful Eagle Eye and the pair covered the 600m in 37.4sec.
Barend Vorster was on Eagle Eye while apprentice T Krisna rode Mokastar.
The son of Poet's Voice will go into the race on the back of good trial just last week.
Ridden by Vorster, Mokastar claimed the lead on settling and was never headed.
Not a big boy - he usually tips the scales at the mid-400kg mark - he will have to hump 58kg on Sunday. Then again, so too, will his main rivals.
Also from Ricardo Le Grange's yard, watch out for another good showing from Pennywise.
A two-time winner from just three starts, the Argentinian-bred was another good worker on the training track, running out the 600m in 37.6sec.
Attempting a hat-trick at his last start in July, Pennywise had a nightmarish outing. Everything bad which could have happened, did happen.
After a messy start, he was bumped, checked, hampered. In the end, a fourth place was all he could muster.
He deserves another chance and while there are some talented sprinters in Race 10 - which he will contest - Pennywise should be right up there trading punches and landing blows when it matters.
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