Kranji CNY meeting top pick
Mark Walker-trained 7YO unlucky to find one to beat in last three starts but Wednesday could be his day
With three close seconds in his last three starts, one could safely say five-time winner Lim's Reform richly deserves to get the winning break again.
The Mark Walker-trained seven-year-old New Zealand-bred is in a winnable Class 4 event in Wednesday's Chinese New Year meeting and only needs that ounce of luck to return to the winner's rostrum.
The 1,400m trip suits the bay gelding, just hope someone will inject a bit of pace in the race so that he will be rolling home for his sixth success from 48 starts.
Last time out on Jan 18, Lim's Reform perked up somewhat late as usual. He came home in giant strides under his recent regular rider, top apprentice Troy See who is now a full-fledged jockey, but the strongly fancied winner No Fun No Gain was safely home by ½ length.
That was over 1,200m, so 1,400m is now more his go.
A run previous, on Longines Singapore Gold Cup Day on Nov 11, he did take part in a 1,400m race. But he also got going late, going down to Alamosa Express by a mere head, He was also second by a head to King Of War over 1,200m on Oct 21.
In all three second placings, he was rated 61 in Class 4, same as Wednesday. Take note that this is one point lower than his last victory on May 11 last year.
Interestingly, that was over 1,000m on the Polytrack - his one and only outing over the flying sprint - in Class 3. He came from second-last to beat Effortless by ½ length.
How, you may ask. Well, anything can happen in horse racing. You just have to be in it to win it. That's the beauty of the King of Sports. There's no such thing as a certainty in racing.
In his foreward for the 1988 Malayan Racing Association Magazine, Malaysia's first prime minister and avid horse racing fan Tunku Abdul Rahman wrote: "We must not take ourselves too seriously, since nothing makes a fool of a man better than a horse." Well said.
For argument sake, Lim's Reform won because of a number of good reasons - he was younger, the sizzling pace set by Polytrack 1,100m record breaker Filibuster suited and he carried only 51.5kg, the lightest among the 12 runners. Also, there's a racing saying - stayers can sprint, especially when fresh, but sprinters can't stay.
Lim's Reform, who also scored two races each over 1,400m and 1,600m, comes in with probably the best form for Wednesday's race. Only two others , Gold Star and Dixieland Rock, made the board last time out. Gold Star won but is jumping from Restricted Maiden over 1,200m to Class 4 over 1,400m, while Dixieland Rock bounced back to form with a third placing over the Poly 1,200m.
Dixieland Rock gets in with bottomweight on 51kg, 6kg lighter than Lim's Reform. But, despite the big difference, I think Lim's Reform is more honest and genuine.
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