Speedy Missile locks on target

The evidence is there for all to see. It is as clear as daylight that Speedy Missile is overdue for another win.

Prepared by the top-form Donna Logan, who has moved up second behind Tim Fitzsimmons in the Singapore trainers’ premiership with her several waves of winners, the five-year-old is knocking on the door again.

The Fairdeal and Ronald Lau-owned Australian-bred gelding should go one better in tomorrow’s $50,000 Class 4 Div 2 event over 1,200m on turf.

It is the penultimate race in the bumper card of 12. The starting time is 5pm.

Speedy Missile was plain unlucky to have found just one better in his last two starts.

On both occasions, he dashed home a tad late over tomorrow’s course and distance under Australian jockey Jake Bayliss.

The three-time winner from 23 starts rocketed home from second last on April 30 to be runner-up to From The Navy, who clocked a respectable 1min 10sec.

He is meeting his conqueror on 2kg better terms for a one-length defeat. It is to his advantage.

Then, on May 21, he again rushed home with his blistering speed from midfield. 

Alas, Win Win beat him to the winning post by half a length in a smart 1min 10.21sec.

But racing pundits will argue that Speedy Missile would have been the winner if not for bad luck.

The day’s Stipendiary Stewards’ report said that not only was he slow into stride, he was held up and was unable to improve in the early part of the straight.

That surely cost him the race.

Given a clean passage, he would have been at the winner’s enclosure for the photograph-taking.

After the two defeats, Bayliss should already have a better understanding of his mount.

All he needs to do is pray for luck in the running.

And also for some rain. Speedy Missile is noted to prefer to have some “give” in the ground.

In his last success on Feb 13, the heavens opened up, rendering the Kranji track yielding.

Despite being also held up for a run, jockey Wong Chin Chuen managed to manoeuvre his way to a 1¼-length victory in a swift 1min 09.93sec.

So, on timing and the form that he is in, it will take a good horse to beat him tomorrow.

Logan, who has closed in to only seven winners behind Fitzsimmons, has another top chance in last-start winner Stenmark (Race 3, 1pm).

The four-year-old Australian-bred has improved further. He galloped with gusto on Tuesday morning.

It looks like the 2½kg penalty should not stop him from a back-to-back double in Class 4.

The only concern is his behaviour at the start. Punters may still have some jitters from his antics in his preceding two outings.

He refused to jump on March 13 and then dislodged his rider after the start on May 8.

If he jumps with the rest tomorrow, he should be hard to beat. 

He goes well for last season’s champion apprentice-cum-jockey Hakim Kamaruddin.