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The deck is stacking up nicely for Caspar Fownes in his attempt to train a second Krisflyer International Sprint winner in Singapore
Lucky Nine is the Fownes ace up his sleeve and everything is aligning for the Hong Kong trainer and his proven G1 sprinter.
He won the race in 2010 with Green Birdie and the only other time Hong Kong has captured this prestigious event it saw Brett Prebble ride Sacred Kingdom to win in 2009.
Prebble will ride Lucky Nine and he is a big race specialist with his memorable win atop Green Moon in the G1 Melbourne Cup last spring at Flemington a classic case of delivering on the day.
Lucky Nine has won eleven races and placed eleven times in his thirty-two starts and but for some bad barriers and traffic could have several more successes in an already super record.
The four-time G1 winner has double that of any rival here today with only Super Easy (dual G1 winner) and Bel Sprinter (once at G1) having scored at the ultimate level.
It should be no surprise both of those sprinters are top four for me today but they will struggle to beat Lucky Nine if his best closing surge is on display at Kranji.
Apart from his four G1 victories, which have come at 1200m and 1400 and up to a mile showing great versatility, he has placed six times (three seconds and three thirds) at G1 up to 1800m.
He is an explosive closer or can sit poised with cover handy then detonate with a devastating turn of foot.
The health issue last start in the G2 Sprint Stakes at Sha Tin, where he finished seventh but close up and coming at the line, was for one of his quality a tad disappointing but he has been given the all clear since.
Twice he has met the big Japanese power sprinter Lord Kanaloa in his last seven starts and finished fifth each time.
He drew gate twelve in the G1 Longines Hong Kong Sprint in December and ran a good race for fifth considering the 1:08.50 run and won feature.
Poignantly he beat Super Easy (the big local hope for Singapore) home by almost four lengths in that and also three weeks earlier beat him again (this time by over three lengths) when winning the G2 Jockey Club Sprint from gate nine.
Lucky Nine also finished fifth in the G1 Sprinters Stakes at Nakayama last September to Lord Kanaloa, which clocked a staggering 1:06.70
Only a wet track it seems would be a query with the son of Dubawi that today will be running in his eighteenth G1 race.
The sole Japanese runner at Kranji on International Sunday is Dasher Go Go and if you use the Lord Kanaloa form as the best guide for Lucky Nine prospects then ditto here.
Dasher Go Go may have won just three races but some of the placings and close up fourths and fifths he has recorded are impressive.
In his last seven starts he has drawn twelve or wider (seventeen being the worst gate) five times yet his form reads four placings (all G3), a fourth (G1) and a fifth (G1) plus a last (G1).
He finished last of sixteen in the 2012 G1 Sprinters Stakes from gate thirteen and was beaten eighth and a half lengths.
The strength of that Lord Kanaloa won race saw Curren Chan (another serious sprint guide) finish second with of course Lucky Nine fifth.
Consider the likes of Little Bridge (won the G1 Kings Stand at Royal Ascot at his previous start albeit in June of last year) finished tenth and Captain Obvious fifteenth.
Dasher Go Go finished fourth in the G1 Takamatsunomiya Kinen in March of last year to Curren Chan, after drawing gate fifteen and just as notable was the third finisher being Lord Kanaloa from the ace.
Umberto Rispoli will ride Dasher Go Go for the Takayuki Yasuda stable and you cannot leave out this Japanese sprinter.
Amazingly in October of 2011 the G1 Sprinters Stakes field then contained two Krisflyer winners in Rocket Man (fourth this day) and Green Birdie (eighth this day), with Curren Chan winning the event to again emphasize her form worth.
Notably the fifth finisher was Lucky Nine and eleventh was Dasher Go Go.
You get the feeling history will again be favourable to a runner from that race in the S$1 million G1 Krisflyer of 2013 on the short course A turf track.
Bel Sprinter is a backrunner so will need the pace hot then he can produce the sizzling burst we have seen several times in Australia.
His most electrifying win was the G1 Galaxy (1100m) two runs ago at Rosehill fresh up and clocking a slick 1:02.87, after drawing eleven and dropping to the tail of the field early.
The win was special and a first G1 for the Jason Warren trained sprinter based at Mornington.
The son of Bel Esprit last start ran a game third in the G1 T J Smith(1200m) behind the unbeaten wonder mare and the best sprint form guide in Black Caviar (also by Bel Esprit).
Hugh Bowman rode Bel Sprinter last start and the in form big race rider is on today at Kranji knowing he has a win chance if the closing burst is timed to perfection.
Bel Sprinter has won third up before and his form that is looking better by the day with a win over Platelet last spring fresh up looking enhanced now as that mare has won twice at G1 recently.
He is one of the few in the field that the barrier does not affect his chances as clear air is his launching fuel.
Singapore like Hong Kong is more known for producing quality sprinters and Super Easy looks the best hope for a raucous local reception should he win.
Pat Shaw sadly does not have a local runner to defend the Krisflyer for a hattrick in 2013 after Rocket Man in 2011 and Ato last year.
Super Easy with Joao Moreira atop will have a massive following regardless and the six-time 1200m winner showed last start that sprinting is his caper.
He won the G1 Lion City Cup easily and it was a super lead in for the Krisflyer as a legitimate guide.
Rocket Man won four Lion City Cups in a row and after seconds in the Krisflyer to Sacred Kingdom and Green Birdie he blew the field away in 2011.
Super Easy has won third up twice from three attempts and Michael Freedman, who is very good with sprinters, looks to have timed this to perfection.
The locals will not hand over the Krisflyer crown easily and if Super Easy is a chance then his stablemate Mr Big is too.
His last start second to Super Easy was brave as he set a blistering pace for raceday rider again Corey Brown.
Twelve months ago Mr Big led in the Krisflyer and finished second to Ato so he does deliver on the big stage at home.
He has never been out of the top three at Kranji yet so has some records on the line today to maintain.
We have had two Singapore, Hong Kong (Ricky Yiu trained Sacred Kingdom) and Australian (North Boy for Tony McEvoy and Takeover Target for Joe Janiak) winners of the Krisflyer, with one French success in Iron Mask and trainer Criquette Head.
Who will get to three first?
Will we see another country join the honour roll?
Lucky Nine has a winning hand in 2013 and he has the absolute class edge.
Dasher Go Go will do Japan proud while Bel Sprinter is the big Australian hope.
A former Australian trainer in Michael Freedman will saddle up the two best local charges in Super Easy and Mr Big.
Enjoy this Global Sprint Challenge Series event that is an entrée to a wonderful Singapore Airlines International Cup that follows.