Helushka in good order
Trainer Alwin Tan's last-start winner can surprise in Saturday's opener
On Queen Elizabeth II Cup Day, Helushka was a winner on the undercard. Actually, his three-length victory was the most fluent on the programme. He toyed with his rivals.
The good news for his connections is that Helushka is holding that form and he gets to open proceedings on Saturday.
In preparation, trainer Alwin Tan sent him for a morning gallop where he clocked a leisurely 43.3 sec for 600m. Mohd Zaki did the steering.
Now the big question. Three of his four wins have been over the mile. He goes over 1,100m on Saturday. Can he handle the "short and sharp" trip?
Well, Helushka has won over 1,200m and, two starts ago, he was run down by Paperback Trooper over the sprint. If anyone can keep him going flat out over the 1,100m, Zaki can.
Another one to note from the training track has to be Opunake. He did a spot of cantering before clearing 600m in 43.3sec.
So, you ask. Who is he? Never heard of him. Well, there has been a change of name. He used to race as Super Invincible.
A winner of two races, his last 11 starts have been mediocre at best. However, they were all in the very-competitive Classes 2 and 3.
He is now in Class 4 - and in easier company. With a change of name, we just might see a change of luck. So, be patient and wait until the last race. Opunake could make it worth your while.
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