'Mister' and 'Miss' show
Brown's Mister Yeoh and Group 3-winning mare What's New light up the training track
Mister Yeoh, who is in that elite club reserved for horses rated 100 and above, was the show-off on a crowded training track at Kranji yesterday morning.
Put through his paces ahead of his assignment in the Stewards' Cup on Sunday, he looked in mint condition when reeling off the 600m in 37.5sec.
Having his first crack at this Group 2 race for four-year-olds, Mister Yeoh is in that kind of form which could see him run a stunning race.
Trained by Cliff Brown, the Australian-bred comes into the race on the back of three decent runs which saw him make the board twice.
If anything, you had to be impressed with that effort in the Rocket Man Sprint early last month.
Though beaten into third spot when carrying a featherweight 51.5kg, it must be pointed out that he finished just a whisker behind the runner-up who just happened to be the 113-point rater Lim's Cruiser.
Surely, that must count for something.
Next up for him was the Lion City Cup and, while he did really well to run home third behind Aramco, it was a run worth noting.
Ridden by Ben Thompson and sent off as a $113 roughie in the 10-horse field, he was always travelling like a good horse.
But, while Aramco and the $7 hot favourite Lim's Cruiser motored to the front halfway down the stretch to fight out the finish, it was Mister Yeoh who stayed on stoutly to hold down third.
That, despite being held up for a run between runners when they were 200m from home.
As for his last run, take it as a "dress rehearsal" for the Stewards' Cup.
Elevated to 100 rating points, his rider Rodd reported that he felt Mister Yeoh "did not run a strong 1,400m".
The club vets gave the gelding a once-over but found nothing wrong with him.
In the last fortnight, Brown would have made sure his charge was up to the task and, if anything, come Sunday I reckon the trainer will present him in the parade ring looking every inch a winner.
As of now, Brown looks like he's planning a four-pronged attack on the Cup. Aside from Mister Yeoh, he has entered Zac Kasa, Gold Strike and his Group-3 winner What's New.
By virtue of being the only mare in the field, What's New gets some weight relief and, as we all know, she's racing in the form of her life.
Brown sent her out for a spot of work yesterday morning and she caught the eye when breezing over the 600m in 39.6sec.
It was on June 9 when she gave Adelaide's champion apprentice Raquel Clark a huge thrill when winning the Group 3 Silver Bowl.
It was the fifth time What's New had saluted and it won't be the last.
Indeed, the 1,600m she has to cover in the Stewards' Cup looks to be right up her alley and it wouldn't come as much of a surprise if she again decides to give the blokes a hiding.
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