Cyclone on the way
Rocket Man Sprint trip may be a tad short but 6YO has the class to smash his G3 rivals
On paper, Sunday’s Rocket Man Sprint distance of 1,200m obviously looks a bit sharp for Cyclone.
But the six-year-old Australian-bred should not be brushed aside in the $110,000 Group 3 feature.
He is fresh and can win on class.
The second-highest rated contender, after Sky Eye, boasts a record of three good runs in Group 1 events.
On Nov 19, 2022, the Buffalo Stable-owned gelding finished a splendid third behind Hongkong Great in the $1 million Singapore Gold Cup (2,000m).
On March 25, 2023, he was fourth behind 2022 Horse of the Year Lim’s Kosciuszko in the $300,000 Raffles Cup (1,600m).
Then, at his last start on May 20, he beat all but Lim’s Kosciuszko in the $1 million Kranji Mile (1,600m).
Bear in mind that Lim’s Kosciuszko won in record time of 1min 32.81sec and Cyclone clocked a superb 1:33 flat.
He has been freshened up after that race and trainer Tim Fitzsimmons put his charge back on track for the Rocket Man Sprint with a nice third in his trial on July 27.
With the speed on and a handy 53.5kg on his back on Sunday, look for Cyclone to be spinning home on the long course. With luck, he should scoop up the top prize.
Fitzsimmons is aware that the 1,200m is not ideal but he expects Cyclone to be storming home.
“I think 1,200m, most probably, will be a bit sharp for him. He only has had the one trial but he ran well fresh last time,” said the reigning champion trainer, who recently won the Group 1 Singapore Derby with Golden Monkey.
“He will get back and will be working home strongly. The worry will be the ‘A’ course. It can be a leader’s track.
“Yes, he’s fresh, but he is obviously not at his peak fitness. But I still think he can still run well.
“To win, it may be a little bit sharp, but you never know. He has got the class factor.
“If they go crazy in front, you never know. But he has much bigger targets ahead.”
The million-dollar Gold Cup on Nov 11 will be the ultimate prize.
But before that, there are the Raffles Cup (1,600m) on Sept 23 and the Queen Elizabeth II Cup (1,800m) on Oct 14. Both are Group 1 features worth $300,000 each.
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