Relentless all set for QEII Cup
Fitzsimmons-trained Group 2 Stewards’ Cup winner fitter after his first-up run over 1,600m
Saturday’s $300,000 Group 1 Queen Elizabeth II Cup over 1,800m appears an open affair with many chances, but rising star Relentless has the right credentials to win it.
After all, the Tim Fitzsimmons-trained and Arexevan-Relentless Stable-owned Australian-bred has strong form in Group company, albeit against same-age rivals.
He lifted the Group 2 Stewards’ Cup over 1,600m on June 26.
He beat the exciting Lim’s Kosciuszko, who turned the tables in the Group 1 Singapore Derby over 1,800m on July 17.
Both the feature events were for four-year-old horses.
Taking nothing away from trainer Daniel Meagher’s star, who went on to capture the Group 1 Lion City Cup over 1,200m on Aug 14, Relentless was very unlucky in the Derby.
He encountered heavy traffic. The Stipendiary Stewards’ report stated that he was “unable to obtain completely clear running from the 500m until the 300m”.
He flew when he saw daylight but just failed to catch Lim’s Kosciuszko by a head.
It is logical to say that he would have won with a clean passage.
Well, that is water under the bridge.
Fitzsimmons duly gave his rising star a well-earned rest for a crack at the QEII Cup and the $1 million Group 1 Singapore Gold Cup over 2,000m on Nov 19.
Relentless resumed on Sept 24, as a five-year-old, but was not 100 per cent in fitness.
Fitzsimmons knew that.
He also knew that the first-up run over 1,600m would top his charge up, for sure.
Ridden by Manoel Nunes, Relentless showed he needed the run and finished fifth to fellow QEII Cup contender Senor Don.
But he was only a quarter of a length behind. That close.
Fitzsimmons is happy with Relentless’ improvement but is a bit concerned with the wide draw in the field of 14.
“Really happy with the horse. He has trained on since his first-up run, but barrier 11 is a bit tricky. Anyway, I’ll leave it to Nunes. Hopefully, the horse gets a bit of luck and gets some cover,” he said.
Nunes concurred.
“Hopefully, we get cover and wait for the home straight to give him every chance to win the race,” said the three-time Singapore champion. Good luck, folks.
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