October much too good for Class 5

Form students who looked past October’s unappealing 8-6-8-0-5 last-five-runs record and dug a little deeper instead, collected the cash on Aug 4.

The skinny $11 dividend would not make many rich, but it also proved that Singapore racegoers were not mug punters, and more data-savvy than they are given credit for.

It is admittedly easy to look with the benefit of hindsight, but if you are not one to just scratch the surface, the Ocean Park four-year-old actually stood out on formline.

A previous one-time winner at Restricted Maiden level when prepared by ex-Kranji trainer Stephen Gray, October returned lame at the first of these unplaced starts.

At the next couple, he contested the last two three-year-old features, the Group 2 Singapore Three-Year-Old Classic over 1,400m (sixth) and Group 2 Singapore Guineas over 1,600m (eighth).

Champion trainer Jason Ong then dropped him back to a Class 4 event, but he was a goner when trapped deep throughout.

At his last start, he settled too far back, but did run a closing fifth to the promising Boardroom.

After getting beaten by the likes of Ace Of Diamonds, Bakeel and Lim’s Bighorn, October was suddenly up against Class 5 dwellers in the $30,000 race over 1,400m.

While his rating of 46 put him on level pegging with Lim’s Dreamwalker (48), Lover Boy (47) and such, it was only on paper.

In many ways, the lofty company the Falcon Racing Stable-owned galloper rubbed shoulders with had stunted a rating which might have otherwise been higher.

Thrown against the rank-and-file, October finally got a chance to showcase his true potential. He duly cantered away to a resounding 5½-length win, albeit in the average time of 1min 25.45sec for the 1,400m on the short course.

Ong was certainly not surprised by the ease of the win, especially after Kranji took a drenching from the earlier showers.

“When this horse came to me, he had a bit of condition to put on towards the 3YO races,” he recalled.

“We had to push him a bit to get fit and ready for that. He did okay against some very smart 3YOs.

“We dropped him back in class, but the rain also helped. Those Ocean Park’s (progeny) appreciate the wet. It was nice to see him finish off like a real racehorse today. He can go further for sure.”

Winning jockey Bruno Queiroz, who had ridden October only in barrier trials, said he had been bullish all along.

“I was very confident he would win as he was dropping in class,” said Queiroz.

“At his previous starts, he ran in Group races, but today it was Class 5. The track also suited him better.”

From Queiroz’s full book, October was one of a host of live chances expected to help him put some breathing space on fellow Brazilian Manoel Nunes in the close jockeys’ premiership battle.

With rides like Tennet Tentennet ($8), Diamond Ring ($24), Gold Governor ($16), July ($15) and Onemorefortheroad ($11), Nunes’ one-win lead was hanging by a thread, more so when the five-time Singapore champion was away riding in Adelaide on Aug 3.

In the end, three winners were not as overwhelming, but it was a big enough haul to give Queiroz a two-win advantage over Nunes.

Onemorefortheroad was the only one of his top picks to win while $51 outsider War Star, also trained by Ong, turned unlikely provider.

The son of Super One had plenty of upsides in March when he came off three wins in a row, but then lost his way until the $50,000 Class 4 Division 1 race (1,200m).

Despite a late bumping duel with Nimbus Star (Krisna Thangamani), he got up by a short head.

“He surprised me a little, but to be fair, he was not beaten that far off at his recent runs,” said Ong.

“He also prefers the Polytrack, and horses just run for Bruno.”

The brace keeps Ong well clear at the top (Daniel Meagher is second on 38 wins), on 59 wins, seven shy of his premiership-winning haul of 66 in 2023.

With only nine meetings left, unless Ong stops winning and Meagher goes on a rampage, the Singaporean should go back-to-back in the training honours.

manyan@sph.com.sg