Jinsha set for lucky year

It was a winning hat-trick, if you include his trial success at Kranji yesterday morning.

By all accounts, Lucky Jinsha is flying. He just wants to win and win – and that is what everyone wants in a thoroughbred.

He has the will, the heart and the tenacity to keep up his winning ways.

His connections – the Hong Kong-owned Lucky Unicorn Stable and trainer Tim Fitzsimmons – must be very happy and proud with the progress of their four-year-old bay gelding.

Lucky Jinsha, who has not raced since his last-start success on Sept 11, trotted out with five others for the third and final trial of the morning. He had comeback three-time Singapore champion jockey Manoel Nunes in the saddle.

Calm and and composed in the barrier – in Gate 3 – he then jumped as good as the others.

The Alwin Tan-trained grey Super Dynasty took up the running with the jockey most famous for his catch-me-if-you-can tactics, Mohd Zaki.

Nunes settled Lucky Jinsha right behind, albeit a little wide. They were followed by Proof Perfect and Opunake. A gap away came Lady Sprintbok, who was a couple of lengths in front of last-placed Strong N Smart.

Lucky Jinsha moved up to the outside of Super Dynasty as they swung for home. Proof Perfect closed in on the rails.

The rest were out of the 1,000m contest on the Polytrack.

Lucky Jinsha looked ever ready to overtake the leader but Nunes had him on a leash. But, even so, his mount was too good. He beat Super Dynasty by half a length in 59.89sec, the fastest time of the three trials.

Proof Perfect was third, a length further back.

The winning margin could have been wider and the timing faster had Nunes wanted. But it was not a race, it was just a trial to prep the horse up for the new season which starts on Jan 2.

Lucky Jinsha seemed to be a little bit of a late bloomer.

His best effort from his first seven runs was a fourth. He was under trainer John O’Hara in his first six and was then transferred to Fitzsimmons.

After that Fitzsimmons’ educational run, Lucky Jinsha blossomed to be one of the most improved horses at the recently concluded season.

The Australian-bred shed his maiden status in his next start, winning over the Poly 1,200m in Class 5. A narrow second followed, in the same class over the similar distance on turf.

He bounced back to win again over the Poly 1,200m in Class 5. A subsequent promotion did not stop him from winning for the third time in just four starts.

He is definitely a “must follow” for the new season.

Ironclad, the winner of Trial 2, is another worth jotting down in your notebook. 

The Steven Burridge-trained six-year-old was quite impressive when beating Helushka by three quarters of a length in 1min 00.64sec.

Jockey Wong Chin Chuen jumped Ironclad out swiftly but Helushka was keen to lead under jockey Troy See. So, Wong just stayed glued on Helushka’s outside, to bide his time.

But, just before the home turn, Ironclad already started to move away despite being on a tight hold.

In the straight, he just strode out boldly to win. Like Lucky Jinsha, he could have won much more easily if his rider wanted.

A three-time winner from 22 starts, Ironclad finished a close third in his last start. It was in a Class 5 contest over 1,200m on turf. The winner was his better-fancied stablemate Kimitonara.

It should pay to follow him.