Entertainer puts on a show
He and Headhunter impress at yesterday's Kranji trials
So far, he has been living up to his name.
Entertainer has been entertaining us no end and the show is hardly done.
Indeed, one could say, we are just into the opening act and the plot is getting thicker.
Entertainer was at the trials yesterday morning and, although beaten convincingly by Headhunter in that hit-out over the flying 1,000m on the Polytrack, he would have earned the applause from those who witnessed the run.
Ridden by champion jockey Vlad Duric, who sat out the last meeting because of a suspension, Entertainer put in a tip-top performance.
Clearing the chute cleanly, he was never far from the lead which was the property of Headhunter right from the get-go.
Into the home stretch and it was a two-horse affair.
Headhunter, on the outside, was always going better than his rivals but Entertainer kept humming along and looked to be doing his best work over the concluding stages.
Owned by Fortuna NZ Racing Stable, the son of Zoustar is a last-start winner. And what an impressive show it was.
Ridden by jockey Wong Chin Chuen, he took command at barrier rise and never surrendered the lead.
He eventually took the 1,100m race by half a length.
It was his fourth win from nine starts and it came right after he was soundly beaten in a race won by I Am Sacred on May 1.
A prolific money-spinner, the Mark Walker-trained Entertainer has already won in excess of $100,000 and the bank balance will continue to grow.
However, three of his wins have been in Class 4. That has been his stage but he has definite ability and, in no time, he should be in Class 3 where, we reckon, he will continue the good work.
So you ask, what about Headhunter?
After all, he won the trial in truly convincing fashion.
Indeed, it was a great run which he completed in a smart 59.45sec.
From James Peters' yard, Headhunter was partnered by Oscar Chavez who adopted front-running tactics on the six-year-old.
It paid off handsomely and the rest never got a whiff of his withers.
Headhunter has just one win from 13 starts but he is better than that.
Sure, his form seems to have tapered off but there are still some wins in that big frame of his.
So watch him when he next goes to the races. He just might claim some scalps.
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