3 minute read
The scorecards at the moment say three rounds to Super Easy and one round to Speedy Cat so get ready for their next clash today.
Photo by Racing and Sports
The S$300K Steward’s Cup over 1400m at set weights on the short course C turf track will see the fantastic four-year-olds fight each other again.
The ninth race on the card today has drawn a good field but all eyes will be on the pair that have a history and both have drawn wide.
Both last start ran in the G1 Krisflyer with Super Easy a game third beaten just over three lengths by Lucky Nine and Speedy Cat was a courageous and eyecatching sixth a tad over five lengths away.
Joao Moreira, who could set a Guinness Book of World Records entry by riding winners in more racing countries than any other jockey by the end of his career, is back on deck today at Kranji.
That massive sigh of relief heard is the Singapore on course punting army that welcome back their five-star general after serving out a suspension, which he got for causing the home turn get-out-of-my-way-athon in the Krisflyer.
He came out abruptly on Super Easy such was the handful of sprinter he had underneath him to detonate but caused a concertina of crowding and checking with the worst affected Bel Sprinter and Speedy Cat.
The battle of Brazil is on again too with Moreira versus Manoel Nunes, who has fit Speedy Cat like a glove for riding style since getting atop.
The 1400m suits both runners and I do feel it is actually the best distance of each at their peak but on the turf the edge is with Super Easy (12 wins) to Speedy Cat (2 wins).
A group race comparison sees Super Easy having contested fifteen races at either G1, G2, G3 or Listed level.
He has won twice at G1 (and placed twice) and G2 and four times at G3 (and placed twice).
Speedy Cat has contested seven group races for one G3 win and a G1 placing plus three placings at G3.
The one time Speedy Cat beat home Super Easy came on the poly and the latter was fresh up in the G3 Merlion Trophy.
If you were betting on purely the tale of the tape then Super Easy is the winner by a TKO and he is the one to beat for sure.
Unbeaten in four starts at 1400m and carrying the same weight today at G2 as he did when placing third in an international G1 last start just makes bettors want to pile on more.
Before you go out thinking Super Easy is better than bank interest then it needs to be tempered by one particular disturbing fact and that is him having drawn gate eleven in a field of that number.
It is significant as Super Easy has only drawn a double-digit gate once in his entire career so far and that was barrier ten in Hong Kong when ending up tenth beaten seven lengths behind the Japanese sprinting and now miler colossus Lord Kanaloa.
Super Easy will wonder before the start why are these attendants taking me into this outer gate?
The detonation factor is in the favour of Super Easy as when Joao says go the Michael Freedman prepared sprinter puts on a show.
Speedy Cat likes the leaders to gas each other up front as then he unleashes a sustained but powerhouse finish.
Often in what looks a straight match race or should I say drag race over the final furlong down the outer, something goes awry.
Nunes will be watching Moreira like a hawk in the running and Joao will not want to tow his main rival into the race with a dream slipstream.
Moreira knows he has the superior beast and as he has done so successfully for so long will lay down the gauntlet to the rest halfway up the run home and defy them to run him over.
El Milagro will set a furious pace and if City Lad felt like a Sunday afternoon burn then it could make for a torrid first quarter.
I do see El Milagro as the one they will not want to let get away with a midrace respite and that applies to City Lad too should he lead.
The fence drawn El Padrino is a dual winner at 1400m so cannot be dismissed for the multiples.
His stablemate for Team Burridge is the talented Shuttle Man and they have a third runner in the feature too in Wild Geese.
This is a good achievement as Shuttle Man is also a dual 1400m winner and has been G1 placed at a mile to Super Easy.
Wild Geese has won both starts since coming to Singapore including once at 1400m and has a good will to win.
I am not sure Totality is going as well as he can and just maybe his fresh up win in the G3 Three Rings Trophy (Speedy Cat finished fourth in it) has flattened him this preparation.
Accelarometer is an intriguing former West Australian galloper that is unbeaten this season as a four-year-old but has not raced since last spring.
He looks likely now to handle the rise in distance after today to a mile then the 2000m of the Singapore Derby distance as more and more seem to want to take on hotpot Better Life.
The latter trial of two was the best effort by Accelarometer and the stablemate of a pace maker or forcer in El Milagro gives Shane Baertschiger a speed and swamp hand to play.
The runner that beat Accelarometer in his latest trial outing is Cash Luck that will run for a new stable today and certainly looked in grand order.
The natural backrunner with a huge finish was in the Freedman yard but now runs for David Kok and he has done a good job it seems.
Cash Luck has won fresh up before and loves the turf plus being G1 placed can perform on the biggest stage.
This is such a good field every runner deserves some sort of mention and last but not least is the Pat Shaw runner Damo, which won at G1 in Argentina.
Shaw had two others down to run in this but withdrew Running Tall himself and the vet ordered Let’s See Action out.
He is on a good run at the moment and when big races come about this stable should never be left out.
Damo loves the turf and is drawn to not spend a penny in the running plus has come up a treat this preparation with two sound 1400m wins.
The only three trainers with a runner in the feature today to have won this race before are Shaw, Michael Clements and Desmond Koh.
Shaw won it in 2011 with Jamal Malik, while Michael Clements, who has won it twice, scored with Fairy Tale (2004) and Revolte (2008), while Koh won it with Safety Outlet in 2006.
Super Easy has the class edge and can overcome his worst draw lifetime and what a welcome back for Moreira, while Speedy Cat is the main danger.
El Padrino is up to being in the finish and the upsetter is Cash Luck.
Enjoy the Brazilian bout.