Jinsha to get Lucky again
Back at the top of his game after a lapse, the eight-time winner is fired up to bounce back
It sure has taken a long time for Lucky Jinsha to get his mojo back – after 10 unplaced starts in 14 months, to be exact.
That is between the last of his eight successes in November 2022 and his last-start narrow second in the Group 3 New Year Cup over the Polytrack 1,200m in January 2024.
The Lucky Unicorn Stable-owned six-year-old Australian-bred was a revelation in 2021 and 2022.
From a mere Class 5 galloper, when under former trainer John O’Hara, he transformed into one of the most improved horses at Kranji after being transferred to Tim Fitzsimmons.
In 16 months, the bay gelding rose from the lowest grade to Class 1 with eight victories, including five in a row.
In 2022, he won five of his six races. But, after his last triumph on Nov 5 that year in Class 2, he suddenly went off on a tangent.
He failed to finish in the money in all 10 starts in 2023.
Then, he showed a return to form on Jan 6, 2024, in that Group 3 New Year Cup race.
With his latest regular jockey, Zyrul Nor Azman, astride, he led and was shouted the winner until one of Kranji’s new sensations, Super Salute, pipped him by just a head on the line.
That run proved that Lucky Jinsha is back in business. He confirmed the form by winning his trial on Feb 8 brilliantly.
He romped home in that 1,000m Polytrack heat by two lengths in 58.72sec, one of the rare occasions a trial winner clocked under 59sec.
It is obvious he is back at the top of his game and has to live up to only his trial-winning form to return to the winner’s rostrum on Feb 17.
After all, he is in a winnable Kranji Stakes A event over the Poly 1,100m with a handy 52kg (after Zyrul’s 2kg claim) and a favourable draw (4).
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