Arhat's second pleases Clements

While trainer Desmond Koh had every reason to be happy with the unexpected windfall, trainer Michael Clements (main photo) was also rapt with Arhat's first-up second.

"It was meant to be a pipe-opener today as he hasn't raced since the end of last year. We gave him a break as he had had enough," said Clements.

"I still expected a good run from him. When the winner skipped clear, he was left with too much to do, but he found the line really well.

"I will try to get him up to longer distances. We thought he could be a Gold Cup horse last year, and I guess I will be looking at some long-distance feature races for him, maybe a race like the Moonbeam Vase or the Queen Elizabeth II Cup."

The Group 3 JBBA Moonbeam Vase over 1,800m is run on April 16 while the Group 1 Queen Elizabeth II Cup over 2,000m is run on June 4.