Moment of truth for Cash Cove
Saturday’s Class 4 race will be the best guide to three-time winner’s 3YO dreams
Trainer Alwin Tan will get the answers he needs as early as Race 1 this Saturday.
The Singaporean saddles a small team of only three runners, but there is no doubt his three-year-old Cash Cove will keep him on tenterhooks.
The good news is Tan will not have to wait long before he can get the weight off his shoulders. The $50,000 Class 4 Division 1 race over 1,100m on Polytrack that the son of Charm Spirit contests is slated as the opening event.
While his three wins from six starts in 2022 made Cash Cove a shoo-in for the Singapore Three-Year-Old Challenge, Tan would rather treat Saturday’s race as the perfect litmus test – either way.
“Looking at the handicaps this Saturday, I think he should run a good race even if he’s up against some experienced horses of better quality,” said the 2016 Singapore champion trainer.
“He carries 57.5kg, which is not too bad, even if he does give weight all round.
“If he wins easy, then no need to say where he’s going. We’ll get him ready for the 3YO races.
“But if he struggles to win or even loses, then we need to think about whether we keep going towards the 3YO races. We’ll have to work it out with (Manoel) Nunes and seek his opinion.”
The Brazilian maestro has paired up only once with Cash Cove. It came at his impressive last-start win in a Class 4 race over 1,100m on Nov 13.
Oviously impressed, Nunes has since continued the association with the grey during the December break, even if no deal has been inked between the two parties.
The Challenge kicks off with the Group 3 Singapore Three-Year-Old Sprint (1,200m) on April 8, before culminating with the relaunched Group 2 Singapore Guineas (1,600m) on May 20.
“I have to thank Ivan Neo for giving me such a good horse to train. But I’m so lucky to have Nunes as his jockey,” said Tan.
“Based on his feedback after his workout yesterday, he was happy with his condition and action, and said he was ready to go.
“But Nunes has yet to commit to the horse for the 3YO races as he’s got a few options. We also have to test the horse over 1,200m on turf first.
“He’s had only a couple of runs over that course and distance but he was still green then. He’s had only six starts, but he has improved since.
“Nunes also said he can improve further. He said he could still feel something underneath him in trackwork.”
On the race itself, Tan has done his homework and sounded reasonably bullish of “landing the cash” again with the noted speedster.
“Barrier No. 7 is okay. But Jason Ong’s horse Opunake can also set a fast pace. I hope the pace is not too crazy,” said Tan.
“You must also respect Wecando, who showed some pace at his last start. Sun Ace is also speedy.
“Nunes was happy with his two barrier trials during the break, even if the horse was a bit slow at the second trial.
“I’m not sure if it’s a problem, but he did stay inside the barrier a bit longer.”
Tan’s other two runners on Saturday are split between the two $30,000 Class 5 Division 1 races over 1,100m: Griffin in the Division 1 race and Bizar Wins in the Division 2 race.
Nunes is booked on Bizar Wins, a Brazen Beau five-year-old Tan races himself, and who is not exactly a model of consistency even if he ran second at his last start.
French jockey Louis-Philippe Beuzelin rides Griffin, an All American five-year-old who has shown precious little in 13 starts at Kranji.
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