Alibi warms up for Lion City Cup with Boss on the reins

It's a race all sprinters want to win and the starting list for Sunday's Lion City Cup is chockful of speedsters.

So, can a horse with an 88-point rating carry 57.5kg and still beat horses in the 90 point bracket and beyond?

Certainly, provided the horse is at the top of his game - and we reckon ALIBI is right there.

The four-year-old was all zip on the training track yesterday morning, clocking a swift 35.8sec for the 600m, with Glen Boss doing the steering.

From trainer Stephen Gray's yard, Alibi will be missing the services of Vlad Duric, his regular rider.

OBLIGATION

But Duric had an obligation to ride Wimbledon in the Lion City Cup and, being the gentleman he is, he wasn't about to start breaking promises.

However, in the "Boss", Alibi will be in good capable hands.

The Darci Brahma entire is in great shape coming into this. His last-start win in that Open Benchmark 83 race just a fortnight ago was done in good fashion.

He won by two lengths - but against far lesser opposition than what he will face on Sunday.

Still, if it were a "warm-up" he was after, that run and yesterday's hit-out on the training track would have smoothened the rough edges and made him as right as a racehorse could be.

Also outstanding on the track yesterday were two candidates for the JBBA Moonbeam Vase - GILT COMPLEX and MR SPIELBERG.

Mr Spielberg had a round of cantering before picking up the tempo to run the last 600m in 36.9sec while Gilt Complex was timed at 37.5sec for the 600m sprint.

Both look in good shape for Sunday's 1,800m race.