Hole In One should be the one
On his third place in G1 S’pore Derby, Class 4 mile race a piece of cake for Le Grange ward
Hole In One does not win out of turn, but it was a third place that stands him out in the $50,000 Class 4 race (1,600m) on Aug 11.
The 3½ lengths behind the cracking Lim’s Saltoro-Makin 1-2 in the Group 1 Singapore Derby (1,800m) on July 21 probably told the difference in class on paper.
After a closer watch of the 4YO classic, that gap could have been narrowed if the son of Spieth had drawn better than nine in the 12-horse field.
Caught five wide from the start, he suddenly rolled forward at the 1,000m to go eye-balling eventual winner Lim’s Saltoro.
When Brazilian jockey Bernardo Pinheiro cranked it up into the home straight, he did match Lim’s Saltoro stride for stride for around 100m, until the side-effects of that mid-race gut-buster kicked in.
Creditably, Hole In One did not cave in even if he came under sufferance at the set-weights conditions (he is around 12-13kg lower than Lim’s Saltoro and Makin on ratings), but fought through the line for a well-earned third-place cheque.
Back in Class 4, Ricardo Le Grange’s game but fragile galloper (prone to lameness) should find this a great deal easier, more so when he has drawn well in three.
Pinheiro should have little trouble slotting the Australian-bred gelding into a perfect trail off the speed before popping the question upon cornering.
On that Derby run alone, Hole In One, who turned five on Aug 1, should be able to stamp his authority in Race 4 without too much opposition.
While his only two wins were posted over 1,200m, the last two runs (previous fifth came in the Group 2 Stewards’ Cup over 1,600m) have backed Le Grange’s belief he could run the trip.
Proven mile performers are not in short supply in the small seven-horse field, though.
The vastly improved Great Warrior boasts one win over the journey and one over 1,800m, both for trainer Jason Ong.
A last-start third to Boardroom over 1,600m may suggest the Irish-bred was looking for more ground, but it could have been the quick one-week back-up as well.
A drop of 12kg in body weight may have accounted for that lack of punch inside the last 200m that day. He can atone this time.
The Steven Burridge-trained Flying Fighter is another 1,600m specialist, with two wins over the distance, but he is rising in class. The progressive sort can still make his presence felt, but looks safely held by the first two selections.
Amazing Breeze is on the quick back-up, following his fast-finishing third to Stop The Water in the Class 4 1,400m contest on Aug 4.
With 34 starts under the belt, the Jerome Tan-trained three-time winner (1,200m to 1,600m) is a seasoned campaigner who can cop such back-to-back workload, and will also relish the extra 200m.
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