Good shows on a slow day

Sometimes, it does not take a fleeting gallop to point us in the direction of a winner.

Especially on a Wednesday morning when the races are just three days away.

By then, horses with assignments at the weekend should have had their work all done and dusted.

So, it is always worth your while to take note of gallopers being let out of the tight confines of the stable and allowed free rein to stretch out on the training track.

And what better way to do that than with a spot of, what we call, slow work?

Yesterday morning at Kranji, blinding speed was not the order of the day – although one of Saturday’s runners, Atlantean, did a 600m gallop in 37.8sec.

He has been entered for Race 5 on the 11-race programme and, going on his showing when third to First Chief on Nov 14, he warrants consideration in Saturday’s sprint over the 1,400m.

But back to the “slow workers”, three of them stood out.

They were The Shadow, Brutus and Elliot Ness.

Two of the three – The Shadow and Brutus – were last-start winners who appear to be retaining their form and could quite easily double up.

The Shadow, who is down to contest Race 11, was a winner on Jan 8. That day, he was the first leg of that Jerlyn Seow “double”.

He will again have Singapore’s only woman jockey in the saddle on Saturday. 

It is a good booking as, sure as ever, she has a good record on the gelding.

It is worth noting that when The Shadow last won, it was in a Class 5 event as was the case when he ran second to Kimitonara in November.

He now has to take on Class 4 opposition. Can the Michael Clements-trained runner defy promotion?

As for Brutus, he was impressive when he beat War Pride a fortnight ago.

That day, when ridden by Rizuan Shafiq, he came from third at the top of the stretch to beat War Pride by a neat length.

It was his second win on the trot, having won in October when trained by Mark Walker. He is now under the care of Donna Logan.

Brutus has won four races at Kranji – with four different jockeys. Ruan Maia was the first. Next came Hakim Kamaruddin. 
Then Seow and, last but not least, Shafiq.

Come Race 3 on Saturday, he will have Shafiq in the saddle.

Elliot Ness slots in light for jockey Wong Chin Chuen in Race 6. His last win was way back in April but his recent shows have been commendable.

At his last start, his saddle slipped back shortly after the start placing his rider, apprentice Seow, at a huge disadvantage.

Horse and jockey still managed to continue well and hold down fourth spot.

A handsome chestnut who races in the colours of the Fortuna NZ Racing Stable, Elliot Ness is closing in on $100,000 in earnings.

A win on Saturday – which is not out of the question – could be the tipping point which sends him into the six-figure club.