Miss Dusty raring to go again
The best from yesterday's trackwork at Kranji
Still feeling good after saddling Elite Excalibur to win the Moonbeam Vase on Sunday, trainer Cliff Brown produced one of the morning's stars on the training track yesterday.
Miss Dusty was her name and she sure looked good when taken out for that spot of work ahead of the weekend of racing.
Ridden by Michael Rodd, who partnered her in all but two of her nine Kranji race starts, Miss Dusty wasn't asked to do more than what was necessary when running the 600m in 37.5sec.
A winner in March, Miss Dusty fought a pitched battle with Eye Guy before getting the nod by a whisker.
That was over the sprint trip of 1,200m and on the Polytrack, which does seem to be her more preferred surface.
That said, the mare has also won on the turf. That was around this time last year when, in just her second start, she opened her Kranji account.
That day, in a Restricted maiden event over 1,200m, she ran her rivals ragged, streaking away in the concluding stages to put three lengths between herself and the boys.
It was an impressive show - any which way you looked at it.
Brown has been patient with his 72-rated runner, who won just as impressively in August when beating a Class 4 field over the 1,100m on the Poly.
While some wonder if she's up to winning a Class 3 race, they have only to look back to that last win.
It was a Kranji Stakes C contest and she faced some precocious youngsters.
But she held her ground, looked them in the eye and won the day.
Brown must still be feeling that ache in the pit of his stomach after having to witness two of his charges - Mister Yeoh and Zac Kasa - come so close, only to be beaten in the Rocket Man Sprint by Bold Thruster and Lim's Cruiser.
But that's racing. They lost to two of the best at Kranji and, while preparing Miss Dusty to win on the weekend cannot compensate for last Sunday's mixed fortunes, it will certainly lessen the pain.
One trainer who is surely feeling good is Steven Burridge.
He had a satisfying weekend, saddling Lim's Passion to an easy win in the Restricted Maiden sprint over 1,400m on Friday and, then on Sunday, watching Glasgow beat some highly talented Class 3 rivals with plenty of authority.
Well, like all trainers, he rolled back his sleeves and was back at work first thing yesterday morning.
He would have been more than pleased with the way Lim's Craft shaped up in his morning preparation.
Ridden by in-demand apprentice rider Simon Kok, Lim's Craft was all go when running the 600m in 36.2sec.
Just a three-year-old, Lim's Craft is shaping up to be something really good.
Having had just three starts at Kranji, he has collected cheques from all three assignments.
But the crowning glory in his young career must have been that win early last month.
It was just his third start and under weight-for-age conditions, the youngster showed maturity when holding off the challenge from Hugo to win by almost a length.
Burridge has brought Lim's Craft along nicely and he could be the one they all have to beat in the "Novice" on Sunday.
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