Silo wins first 2YO trial to G3 event

With just under two months to go, trainer Stephen Crutchley and the Toast Trusts & Silo Stable have the front runner to the Group 3 Singapore Golden Horseshoe (1,200m) in Silo.

The son of National Defense stood out in the first lead-up to the returning juvenile race, Saturday’s $75,000 Restricted Maiden (1,200m) for two-year-olds.

He was the only one in the 14-horse field with any racing experience – one start for one third.

Exposed form did not lie.

With Bernardo Pinheiro up, Silo came off an ideal box-seat run to outgun his peers, who, however, were not all pushovers.

Donna Logan’s duo of Artillery (Simon Kok) and Santino (Yusoff Fadzli) filled the minor spots in that order, but they may not be placegetters next time.

From the way the Te Akau Racing duo stormed home, but just allowing greenness to get the better of them in the last 100m, they will definitely be a different proposition in the Singapore Golden Horseshoe on July 23.

The 2YO feature was shelved in the last two years during the Covid-19-induced slowdown.

To be fair, Silo will also improve at least a couple of lengths in the next four weeks.

Wherever he ends up at this first prep, he has already backed Crutchley’s good eye at a sale ring.

“I went one week early at the Magic Millions Gold Coast 2YOs In Training Sale,” said the Kiwi handler, who went on to saddle a double with Rich Fortune (Pinheiro).

“I went through enough of them, and picked him out. We picked another filly (Pride Of Love, by Pride Of Dubai), who is also doing well. We’re very happy with both of them.

“He just looks an athletic type, a very relaxed sort of horse, long in the gaskin and hocks low to the ground.

“I was very happy about that.”

Hardly anything has gone against the A$110,000 (S$98,000) purchase since he landed in Singapore on Jan 11.

The first-up closing third to Fight On in a Restricted Maiden (1,200m) on May 14 was the perfect warm-up.

“He’s come on well since his first run. We were quite confident going into today’s race, but we can never be too confident,” said Crutchley.

“Something good out there can still beat him. When I spoke to Donna Logan, she said she expected Artillery to be out there.”

The early formline has stacked up, but a lot of water will flow under the bridge in the next seven weeks.

Though the runners who finished out of the placings were well strung out behind, most are bound to strip fitter with more racing.

The Leslie Khoo-trained Big Max (Manoel Nunes) showed early toe and dug deep before getting swamped late. He finished fourth.

Daniel Meagher’s two new Lim’s are not quite the next Lim’s Kosciuszko, even if they are also named after mountains.

But both Lim’s Jinba (Daniel Moor, fifth) and Lim’s Shavano (Marc Lerner, seventh) can only improve.

After his red-hot five-timer on Saturday, Pinheiro may well have found the right horse towards the next box to tick – a Singapore trophy.

“I’m just thankful and glad for the ride and for the support from the stable,” said the Brazilian.

“I was really happy once Stephen gave me the ride. He was the only two-year-old who already had a run. It’s a good step-up.

“His run was very good, that’s the second step-up.

“Third we got a good draw. Everything went well, luckily.

“The horse is also a good nice horse, he just sits off the speed in the pocket.

“Once I find a clear way to go, he just answers me. He ran well home.”