Golden Monkey all set for Silver Bowl
A smart trial second to Super Salute whets appetite for clash in Group 3 event on June 11
On a drab and dreary morning, brought on by a shower, it took a flash of gold to brighten things up.
Running in the third of five Thursday trials, Golden Monkey gave his retinue of fans the optimism that their star was in great nick when the Group 3 Silver Bowl (1,400m) rolls along on June 11.
Golden Monkey did not win. He finished second to Super Salute, his main threat in the first leg of the Singapore Four-Year-Old Challenge.
Yes, he who is sitting on six wins in a row, and gunning for a seventh, won in style, beating Golden Monkey by a length.
But the runner-up arguably caught the eye the most, when doing his best work in the closing stages of that 1,000m dash.
Ridden by Daniel Moor, Golden Monkey had just one runner behind him when the seven in the trial had settled down to racing.
Passing the 600m and, with Super Salute fighting it out with Karisto, Moor began plotting a course through the field.
With 300m to go, Golden Monkey was in full flight. But Super Salute, with Manoel Nunes atop, had plenty of petrol in the tank.
Still, Moor and trainer Tim Fitzsimmons would not have been disappointed with the result.
Unfortunately for Moor, he will not be on the four-year-old.
The ride will go to fellow-Australian Mark Zahra, who will be making another flying visit to Kranji.
Already a four-time winner, Golden Monkey had his last outing on April 23 when beaten into second spot by his nemesis, the Jason Lim-trained Super Salute, in the EW Barker Trophy (1,400m).
Watch them when they next cross swords in the Silver Bowl. Super Salute is bidding to make it seven in a row while Golden Monkey has a bone to pick with him.
Later, in the fourth trial, War Sniper toyed with his rivals to record a 3¼-length win.
He ran the trip in 1min 01.82sec. But, for most of the journey, he was in a trial of his own and was eased down over the concluding stages by jockey Bernardo Pinheiro.
A seven-year-old American-bred, War Sniper has had two runs at Kranji and both times he finished down the course. But we know he is better than that.
Before being flown out here, he won twice in Dubai when racing in the colours of the Al Rashid Stable.
Do not be too quick to judge him on those two runs which were in his new surroundings.
Trainer Mahadi Taib has been patient with his galloper, who is slowly getting into his rhythm.
The trial win on Thursday was pretty smart and, if he can bring it to the races, we just might see him break through for a victory.
Keep an eye on newcomer Roman Chief as well. He owned the first trial of the day, coming home from a long third at the 600m mark to give his rivals a real hiding, scoring by two lengths. He clocked 1:01.41 for the 1,000m under Moor’s guidance.
It was his second win at the trials, the first being on May 18 when he prevailed by a neck.
Trained by Michael Clements and owned by the Gandharvi Stable, Roman Chief looks a promising sort. Watch out for him when he makes his Kranji debut.
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