3 minute read
The feature race this evening at Kranji is the Class Three over 1200m on turf for S$75K and the number one saddlecloth drawn gate one is the one to beat.
El Milagro is a strapping three-year-old that simply has too much natural ability to not be the top rated chance in the seventh race on the card.
His four wins from just ten starts have all come on the poly but don't panic as there is much more to this son of Red Dazzler.
The turf record reads five starts for one placing, which came at his last start third under 57kg in a Class Three, but that overall is totally misleading.
The other four turf starts have returned a ninth, a fourth and two fifths.
You can say the ninth last September was a flop but all other outings on the turf have been fantastic efforts, with a fourth to Mr Big (since G1 placed in the Krisfyler) and fifths behind Super Easy (eleven from eleven in Singapore).
The fifths came at G1 and G3, with apart from the Super Easy sensational formline you also need to factor in that fourth in both those races and one spot ahead of El Milagro was the rising star filly Better Life.
I felt the last start third by El Milagro was huge and rider John Powell may well have detonated him a fraction premature.
Powell has won twice on the Shane Baertschiger trained gelding and interestingly each time on the poly, so both he and the horse can create a first with a turf victory tonight.
I also see coming back to 1200m not a major concern and it may in fact help him with such a good turn of foot.
Two starts ago he was running a brave race at G1 over a mile in the Singapore Guineas after working overtime wide throughout and then five weeks later last start just got caught the final 50m.
Barrier one and options galore for Powell with only getting shuffled out the back door being the unpalatable outcome.
He could bounce out for the lead and then assess what is having a look and for how long or only hand up to the one most likely to carry him to the home turn and not stop on top of him.
I think the three-year-old crop this season in Singapore has been outstanding and apart from the unbeaten local champion Super Easy (Mr Legs Eleven) there is the potential superstar filly Better Life and the G1 placed Mr Big.
If Shuttle Man stayed healthy he is something very special indeed too.
When you consider the next tier are the likes of Speedy Cat, Yin Xin and even the good thing beaten resuming last Friday night in El Padrino (formerly called IP Man), the future looks rosy indeed.
The distance of 1200m or being on turf does cancel out the realistic prospects of many tonight but with so many runners that will press forward regardless, the opening quarter could be hectic.
Fuku Kitaru when he begins smoothly can dispute a hot pace and keep going, so respect him drawn handy at 55.5kg plus K B Soo atop is crucial.
He was the last rider to win on the gelding and it came in a Class Three on the turf in 1:09.75 under 56kg last November, when drawn as he is tonight gate five.
That time is incredible and shows he likes the tempo white hit throughout and if nothing else will force it then he can and will.
The pair of Team Burridge prepared mares in Country Club and Teen Angel are both chances because they love the turf and 1200m.
Burridge is back to fourth in the premiership at the moment and does not want to lose touch with the trio ahead, so expect him to have a good night and weekend.
Country Club has finished in the top six at her last fifteen starts, which includes two wins and four placings plus three fourths and four fifths.
She is consistent and with the 1kg claimer Matt Kellady atop from a reasonable barrier all is ideal as he has been successful twice on her already.
Teen Angel is drawn well and will get a 2kg claim, with clearly Kellady getting the choice of which stablemate to ride.
The mare has been ridden by apprentices in two of her four wins and this campaign I have noticed her finding the line okay several times.
She is actually racing a lot better than her form at a glance can ever indicate.
Rising Expectation can come out running and likes the turf plus he will be third up this evening and is a proven winner in such a state.
His resumption second on the poly was sound and last start on the all weather again he disputed the lead but found heat a bit much turning for home.
Ivaldo Santana rode him for the first time fresh up and gets back on here significantly and the Brian Dean trained sprinter won a trial well enough late last month.
Othello is an intriguing fresh up runner for the David Hill stable drawn three as this former Australian sprinter can cope on rain-affected ground.
He cost $1.9 million at the 2008 Inglis Easter Yearling Sale and cost 200K more than The Comedian, which is having a great time in Singapore since coming over.
The full brother to the dual G1 winner Mnemosyne has had two trainers so far in David Hayes as a youngster and then Joseph Pride when racing in Sydney.
All his wins have come clockwise so it will be interesting to see if he remembers his juvenile days and left-handed racing.
Othello has won fresh up and trialled okay into third late last month plus with Barend Vorster getting atop you know the natural lightweight will make proper use of a good gate.
As the syndicate that races him now is called Ace-In-The-Hole they have just that in the rider when it comes to sprint races.
El Milagro and numero uno is Spanish for the miracle and number one, and it will take just that to see this gifted three-year-old beaten tonight from the inside barrier.
Fuku Kitaru will go a blinder and the price you get on Othello may be the best he pays, so it would be a Shakespearean tragedy to miss out on that!
Enjoy the Spanish lesson handed out in Singapore tonight.