Gold Ten Sixty-One No. 1 Pick
Trainer Fitzsimmons’ grey is the unanimous choice of The Sunday Times’ racing scribes
The jury’s verdict is out: Gold Ten Sixty-One is the top pick in the card of 11 at Kranji on Sunday.
At least by The Sunday Times’ tipping trio – myself, Michael Lee and Brian Miller.
It is no coincidence that leading trainer Tim Fitzsimmons’ ghostly grey is selected by all three veteran racing scribes.
The four-year-old New Zealand-bred not only stands out in the $50,000 Class 4 Division 2 race over the Polytrack 1,200m in the final event but also the whole card.
His form this season is strong and consistent, so meeting a beatable field is the main reason he is all the rage.
The fact that he will be ridden by four-time Singapore champion jockey Vlad Duric adds more confidence to his chances.
The Australian has achieved a high 35.5 per cent strike rate (11 wins from 31 rides) since his recent return to Kranji racing.
How about a good barrier in Gate 4? It is yet another plus.
After a 4½-month break, Gold Ten Sixty-One has not finished out of the first four from five starts.
He resumed with a head second over the Poly 1,200m on April 2 and then led all the way over the Poly 1,100m on May 14.
This was followed by a third over the same course and distance.
His last two starts were in the Group 3 Singapore Three-Year-Old Sprint (1,200m) and Group 2 Singapore Three-Year-Old Classic (1,400m), both on turf.
They yielded a third and a fourth respectively behind stablemate Golden Monkey.
Gold Ten Sixty-One showed he is up to today’s assignment by winning his trial last week.
Apart from the Mahadi Taib-trained newcomer War Sniper, who led throughout in his trial on Tuesday, there is not much speed in the race, so Gold Ten Sixty-One is expected to roll forward from the get-go.
If he is left alone cruising in front, he will be hard to catch.
Fitzsimmons was not surprised that his AJ’s Stable-owned charge is The Sunday Times’ unanimous choice as the day’s top bet.
“No, not surprised. Obviously, it’s a nice race for him back to the Poly,” he said.
“He has had a couple of hard runs but I suppose that would be the only question mark.
“If he can stay in good form, but from his trial last week, it looks like he’s holding his form. I’m also happy with his trackwork. It looks like a really nice race for him.
“I’m really happy with him and he’s one of my better chances for the day. That’s for sure. I think Renzo is the main danger.”
The Ricardo Le Grange-trained Renzo is a money spinner with three wins, three seconds and three thirds from 13 starts.
One of his successes was over Saturday’s Poly 1,200m.
The four-year-old Argentinian-bred ran fifth in the Singapore Three-Year-Old Sprint, just half a length behind Gold Ten Sixty-One. He should go close again.
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