Don’t mess around with Mr Clint
Freedman's trio impress at trackwork
Whichever way you look at it, Mr Clint ran a super race when racing at Kranji resumed on July 11.
He didn't get his picture taken. That honour went to Countofmontecristo. But, for sure, his name would have been scribbled into many notebooks as a horse to follow.
Yes, he did impress on his return to racing and, if you liked what you saw of him that day, you'd be pleased to know that he seems to have improved even more.
Mr Clint was sent out for a spin on the training track yesterday morning and, with A'Isisuhairi Kasim on the reins, he ran the 600m in 37.4sec.
Coming back to that last run which was over the 1,200m, A'Isisuhairi parked him in a spot off midfield and the pair stayed there as Skywalk, Nowyousee and Fame Star threw back dirt on the chasing pack.
Into the straight and the leading trio were still going hell for leather. But, while all eyes were focused on Countofmontecristo who was coming into the fray, A'Isisuhairi fashioned a run on Mr Clint.
With the field strung out on the Poly, the "Count" put in a great run, charged to the front and claimed the prize. The win was full of merit and he deserved the accolades and the headlines which followed.
It was a much talked-about victory, but Mr Clint lived to fight another day.
That "day" might just be on Sunday, when he takes on a power-packed Class 1 field over the 1,400m on grass.
It's Mr Clint's caper who, you will remember, romped home to lift the Singapore Gold Cup last November.
That was over the sapping 2,000m. But we've seen him run and win over the shorter distances - twice over the 1,400m and once the 1,600m - which, incidentally, was the million-dollar Singapore Guineas.
Mr Clint is a quiet achiever. Honest as the day is long, he looks the pick of Lee Freedman's trio in Sunday's top sprint.
Yes, Freedman's got three in that race, the other two being Sun Marshal and Circuit Mission.
Like Mr Clint, they, too, were put through their paces on the training track and they came away looking sharp.
Sent out together, they were eager to stretch their limbs and, as one, they covered the 600m in 38.6sec. Ruan Maia did the steering on Sun Marshal.
A fine-looking chestnut, Sun Marshal has recently been running good races - without winning. His latest effort, in early March, added more money to the kitty when he finished third to Yulong Edition.
Three weeks earlier, he fought out the finish with Countofmontecristo in the Chairman's Trophy. The "Count" took that one, winning by a length.
Sun Marshal was gallant in defeat and will surely run a big race on Sunday. Indeed, it will be interesting to see him cross swords with stablemate Mr Clint.
They eyeballed each other in the closing stages of last year's Singapore Derby, with Sun Marshal raising the grandstand and getting the honours in what was a truly thrilling finish.
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