Knight Love shows gusto in trial win
The Tan Kah Soon-trained Knight Love was in his element in his trial at Kranji yesterday morning.
The five-year-old American-bred gelding showed abundant speed to take the second of four heats in the quickest time.
Ridden by Brazilian jockey Bernardo Pinheiro, he claimed the front quickly and kept increasing his lead as the trial progressed.
By the time he straightened up, he was already a distance clear, albeit his rivals were just dawdling behind like a stroll in the park.
He, too, was not asked to do much by Pinheiro, who just sat pretty and let his mount stroll along under his own steam.
Despite that, he clocked under one minute – 59.33sec – for the 1,000m on the Polytrack. It was impressive for a Class 5 galloper.
While happy with the trial, Knight Love’s unpredictability has also baffled his trainer who called his bleeder a “moody fella”.
“In the races, he just stops by himself. I think sometimes after they bled once, they always hold back. That’s what we found with him – that sometimes, when under pressure, he will just drop the bit,” said Tan.
“But, if you watch his races, he will pick up again after the winning post and run all the way to the back. Other than that, we’re happy with his trial. But it’s up to him. He’s just a moody fella.”
Tan felt the trial was a bit harder than he wanted, but Knight Love was left alone in front so easily.
“He’s not a horse to be over-restrained because he pulls hard. That’s why he didn’t do much. When he got to the front so easily, he wanted to open up like that,” said the son of retired trainer Dr Tan Swee Hock.
“Bernardo also didn’t want to fight him too much, just let him stride, because he knows the history of the horse as well.
“Last start, I think he just got taken on a bit too early from his wide draw. Today nobody took him on, it was okay.
“We’re a bit disappointed with him but, hopefully, today’s trial will give him the confidence.
“We’ll see how he pulls up first. We may race him next week or the week after. There is plenty of Class 5 races.”
Knight Love has had 22 starts for two wins – over 1,000m on the Polytrack and 1,200m on turf – and five placings.
Before his last-start 41/2-length sixth, he was third twice.
If he can reproduce his trial run in his next race, he will give his connections plenty to cheer.
Yesterday’s Kranji barrier trial results:
TRIAL 1
1 Healthy Baby (C.C. Wong)
2 Typhoon (V. Duric)
3 Supreme One
4 Lim’s Pride (D. Beasley)
Margins and time: 1/2, 1/2, 3/4
(1 min 03.11 sec)
TRIAL 2
1 Knight Love (B. Pinheiro)
2 Gamely
3 Whistle Grand (I. Saifudin)
4 Global Spirit
5 Helushka (M. Zaki)
6 Lim’s Wish (Beasley)
7 Minhaaj (T. Rehaizat)
8 Coffee King (Wong)
Margins and time: 12 1/4, 2 1/2, 1 1/4, 1 1/4, 1 1/4, shd, nk (59.33sec)
TRIAL 3
1 Wan Legacy (Wong)
2 Songgong Hera
3 Lim’s Lightning (Beasley)
4 In All His Glory (Duric)
5 The Wild Bunch (T.H. Koh)
6 Hardcore (M. Kellady)
7 Lim’s Passion (B. Woodworth)
8 Sacred Rebel
Margins and time: 1, hd, nk, 1 1/2, 1/2, 4, nk (1:01.45)
TRIAL 4
1 Montana Flash
2 Sky Eight (Saifudin)
3 Graviton (W.H. Kok)
4 Kranji Jewel (Duric)
5 Super Atas
6 Engine Start (Wong)
7 Loving Babe (N Rozlan)
8 Dragon Tycoon (Beasley)
Margins and time: 2 1/2, 1 3/4, 2 1/2, 2, 2, 2 1/4, 4 3/4 (1:01.20)
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