Lucky Jinsha to trial on Tuesday
After almost four weeks of lull, the barrier trials will be back in full swing at the Kranji racecourse on Tuesday morning.
The Singapore Turf Club has scheduled five heats, with 40 horses entered.
The third trial is the highlight with several nice types among the eight runners.
They include newly crowned champion trainer Tim Fitzsimmons’ “pet horse” Lucky Jinsha and trainer Alwin Tan’s rising star Cash Cove, who is one of The Straits Times’ veteran racing scribe Brian Miller’s five horses to follow in 2023 (see main story).
Lucky Jinsha has won eight times for Fitzsimmons, after he took over the Lucky Unicorn Stable-owned galloper from trainer John O’Hara in mid-2021.
The five-year-old Australian-bred is the circuit’s most improved horse, rising from Class 5 to Class 1 and soon-to-be feature race contender.
After his last-start victory on Nov 5, Fitzsimmons revealed that Lucky Jinsha would be aimed at the Group 3 Merlion Trophy over the Polytrack 1,200m on Feb 4.
Also nominated in the same trial is trainer Michael Clements’ 2021 Merlion Trophy victor Celavi.
The speedy mare has not raced since her last placing in the 1 billion won (S$1.03 million) International Group 3 Korea Sprint over 1,200m at Seoul racecourse on Sept 4.
While the trials will be back in force from Tuesday, trackwork has been ongoing at Kranji during the off season, albeit at a much slower pace, with the racing fraternity taking a much-needed break.
But it has been picking up pace for the resumption of Singapore racing on Jan 7.
Trainer Steven Burridge sent six horses for gallops on Monday morning. The two who sparkled were Street Cry Success and Ima.
A four-time winner from 32 starts, Street Cry Success breezed over 600m in 39.8sec.
The eight-year-old has been rested since his last placing on Aug 21. The spell appears to have done him a world of good.
Ima, who ran a pleasing fourth behind hat-trick-scoring stablemate and another of Miller’s horses to follow, Street Of Dreams, in his last start on Nov 19, clocked 37.9.
Get The New Paper on your phone with the free TNP app. Download from the Apple App Store or Google Play Store now
