Exciting novice affair
Many in the $75,000 race have good chances, particularly last-start winner Blazing Kid
Sunday’s $75,000 Novice event over the Polytrack 1,200m looks an intriguing affair.
The field consists of a bunch of horses capable of winning.
To make it more interesting, many of them grabbed attention on the training track at Kranji yesterday morning.
Perhaps the most impressive of all was trainer-of-the-moment Jason Ong’s Blazing Kid.
Taken out by his regular partner, Oscar Chavez, the last-start winner dashed over 600m on the main Polytrack in 36.8sec and pulled up without raising a sweat.
He was accompanied by stablemate Fight To Victory (Zyrul Nor Azman), who is engaged in the $30,000 Class 5 Division 3 event over the Poly 1,200m on the same day.
Blazing Kid has proven himself to be a genuine galloper.
From just three Kranji starts, he was a narrow second in his first two, before scoring big – all over 1,200m on turf.
A speedy four-year-old son of the fashionable Swiss Ace, he led on debut on Jan 15, but was nabbed on the line by War Commander. The margin was just a nose.
The brown New Zealand-bred gelding then lost by a neck to Dancing Tycoon on Feb 13.
Both horses franked the form on the same day, March 19. While Blazing Kid was third-time lucky in Open Maiden, Dancing Tycoon scored in a $75,000 Novice event.
This augurs well for Blazing Kid in his Novice bid on Sunday.
Although he is happy with his charge’s progress, Ong is also concerned with the strong field.
“He is still feeling well, holding his form. But this is his first time on the Poly and the field is certainly stronger than his previous starts,” said the Singaporean, who saddled his first four-bagger last Saturday.
Seven of his rivals also went through their paces yesterday.
The Alwin Tan-trained newcomer Griffin caught the eye, galloping on the right-handed Track 6 in 39.5sec under last Saturday’s hat-trick hero Koh Teck Huat.
The four-year-old, who comes with a win (1,400m) and three seconds (over 1,100m and 1,400m) from five starts in Western Australia and has a rating of 60, won both his trials at Kranji.
He will be a force to reckon with, but running first-up over the Poly 1,200m can be taxing for a newbie.
The other top challenger will be leading trainer Tim Fitzsimmons’ Dancing Light, who clocked 39.1sec effortlessly.
The speedy three-year-old Australian-bred is just as honest.
He was an easy all-the-way debut winner in Restricted Maiden over the Poly 1,100m and was a last-start third to Dancing Tycoon in the Novice event.
Like Blazing Kid, he also has the three-race experience going into Sunday’s contest.
Trainer Kuah Cheng Tee’s War Warrior worked well on Track 6 in 39.9sec, pulling away from his dual-Group-winning stablemate Forever Young.
Kuah, a former jockey, tested War Warrior himself.
Trainer Michael Clements’ pair, Prodigal and Ealami (Louis-Philippe Beuzelin), worked not too bad on the main track. They clocked 37.9 and 40.5 respectively.
The other two contenders who galloped were trainer Leslie Khoo’s duo of Captain Legacy (35.6) and Battle Win (45.3).
Captain Legacy was ridden by A’Isisuhairi Kasim.
Trainer Shane Baertschiger’s last-start impressive winner Shang Chi and trainer Steven Burridge’s debut fourth-place getter Street Of Dreams are expected to do their final gallop this morning.
With so many chances, Sunday’s Novice race is certainly worth waiting for.
Yesterday’s Kranji gallops by horses engaged on Sunday:
KRANJI STAKES A - 1,200M
Celavi H (L Beuzelin) 43.3.
Sacred Gift H 42.2.
Entertainer (F Yusoff) 39.1.
Nowyousee (I Amirul) canter/40.9.
Sacred Rebel (CC Wong) 41.4.
CLASS 3 - 1,100M
King Arthur H (F Yusoff) 37.7.
Spirit Of Big Bang (Beuzelin) 39.7.
Ararat Lady H 42.4.
Happy Moment H
(B Woodworth) 37.8.
Hugo H 40.3.
CLASS 4 - 1,600M
King Louis canter/36.1.
Shepherd’s Hymn H gallop/35.2.
St Alwyn H (Wong) 40.5.
Axel (PH Seow) 39.8.
Malibu Beach (K A’Isisuhairi) 38.3.
CLASS 4 - 1,200M
Siam Royal Orchid H gallop/35.2.
Big Tiger H (Wong) 39.2.
Wecando H 41.
Wild Bee (R Iskandar) 35.3.
Magnifique 44.3.
Superlative H 35.7.
Rocket Ryane canter/36.1.
Sun Rectitude 39.7.
CLASS 4 - 1,000M
Bionics H (Woodworth) 35.3.
Royal Commander (TH Koh) 38.1
Rocketship H (J Bayliss) 39.2.
Kassab H gallop/35.1.
Mister Dynamo H 40.1.
Basilisk 43.8.
Lonhro Gold (T Krisna) 40.2.
NOVICE - 1,200M
Griffin H (Koh) 39.5.
Graviton 38.4.
War Warrior H 39.9.
Blazing Kid H (O Chavez) 36.8.
Prodigal 37.9.
War Commander H (Wong) barrier/34.4.
Dancing Light H 39.1.
Battle Win 45.3.
Captain Legacy (A’Isisuhairi) 35.6.
Ealami (Beuzelin) 40.6.
CLASS 5 - 1,800M
Split Second H (WH Kok) 41.4.
Sound The Siren (N Zyrul) 38.1.
King’s Speech (M Lerner) 40.4.
CLASS 5 (1) - 1,200M
Northern Sun H (Wong) 38.9.
Helushka (Zaki) 37.1.
CLASS 5 (2) - 1,200M
Legacy Warrior (A’Isisuhairi) barrier/38.3.
Nalati 35.6.
Good Catch H 37.
Big Mary H (Wong) 37.3.
CLASS 5 (3) - 1,200M
Superior Coat (M Nunes) 36.3.
Diamond Ring (Seow) 39.5.
Lim’s Shot 42.9.
Fight To Victory (Zyrul) 36.8.
Super Talent (Amirul) 39.5.
CLASS 5 (1) - 1,100M
Arion Passion H (Stewart) 37.7.
City Gate (I Saifudin) barrier/38.7.
CLASS 5 (2) - 1,100M
Olympia H (R Stewart) 37.3.
Decreto (M Ewe) 38.8.
High Limit (Wong) 42.5.
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