Watch newcomer Mikki Joy
Tuesday's Kranji barrier trials
The Shane Baertschiger-trained newcomer Mikki Joy showed forward form in his barrier trial at Kranji on Tuesday morning.
Ridden by jockey John Powell in the first of two three-horse trials, the six-year-old Japanese-bred took command on settling down and gradually distanced himself as the trial progressed.
At the finish, he posted a 10-length victory over the John O'Hara-trained JK Flash, who was just a short head in front of Smart Warrior. He clocked 1min 00.50sec in the trial conducted on Track 6, as the main Polytrack is under refurbishment.
Mikki Joy, who is by one of Japan's former top gallopers Deep Impact, comes with a fairly high rating of 76 points and it would be wise to jot him down in your notebook.
Baertschiger has been doing very well the last couple of seasons and, at the just-ended 2018 Singapore racing season, he finished second with 59 winners in the trainer's premiership quest. He lost to first-season Kranji trainer and Australian Hall of Famer Lee Freedman, who tallied 67 winners.
The winner of the second trial, Kokoni, clocked a much slower time - 1min 03.02sec. Now with trainer Mohd Yusof, the former Stephen Gray-trained two-time winner beat My Miracle by half a length, with three-quarter lengths to Miss Michelle.
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