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Even-money favourite Super Ninetyseven lived up to his short odds to record an impressive victory second-up on Sunday.
Photo by Singapore Turf Club
Racing in the $65,000 Graduation race over 1400m and ridden by Joao Moreira, the Show A Heart three-year-old was simply too good when he came off his box-seat to score by 1 ¾ lengths from Bale Star (Barend Vorster) with Speedy Ahead (Danny Beasley) third another two lengths away. The winning time was 1min 22.68secs.
Owned by the Joy N Happiness Stable, Super Ninetyseven was having his second start from a two-month break. He nearly scored at his comeback race on February 1, but he found one better in Touch Of Gold.
Trainer Michael Freedman, who has been winless since one of Super Ninetyseven’s stablemates, Super Shadow saluted on February 8, is now toying with the idea of a raid at the later stages of the Singapore Three-Year-Old Challenge series for the chestnut gelding.
“He is still learning what racing is all about. He can run about a fair bit, but the ability is there,” said the Australian handler.
“I may look at the second and third Leg of the 3YO series as I think the 1200m may be a bit sharp for him, but we’ll have to see how he comes through that run first.”
Moreira, who was lining up his third win for the day (he went on to score two more wins), agreed with Freedman that Super Ninetyseven was not quite the finished article.
“He’s such a nice horse, but he’s still not mentally fully developed,” said the Brazilian ace. “The older he gets the better he will become.
“There were a few going around him and I struggled to hold my position for a while, but once I was able to get a clear run in the home straight, he put himself in front and was never going to lose that race.”
Select Gathering (Shafiq Rizuan) and Double Star (Steven King) were the joint pacesetters with Super Ninetyseven right on their heels while Bale Star was in an ideal one-out one-back position in fourth and Speedy Ahead was next in the running line.
The order changed little till the home turn when Super NInetyseven was peeled out for his run by Moreira. Bale Star and Speedy Ahead launched at the same time while Double Star dropped out of contention.
But Super Ninetyseven was already out of reach as he held a decent space between him and the others to ring up his third win from six starts.
Among the beaten brigade, one runner who could have finished closer was Mr Magnus (Manoel Nunes) who ran out of galloping room at the 200m when Select Gathering rolled back onto the fence.
The luckless last-start winner was eased out of the race to finish eighth.