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Irish-bred Cannon Hill’s staying prowess came to the fore when he emerged from a true-run race to break the 2200m course record of triple Singapore Gold Cup winner El Dorado on Sunday.
Photo by Singapore Turf Club
With 2000m being the furthest the Holy Roman Emperor five-year-old had ventured in his 11 runs at Kranji since arriving from America, the step-up to the classic distance in the $75,000 Kranji Stakes C race finally saw him unleash a devastating turn of foot to winning effect in the home straight.
Settled at the rear in the early stages, Cannon Hill was niggled along from the backstraight to improve to a striking position as the field cornered. Turning the widest, Cannon Hill, who races in the black and red colours of wealthy owner Fred Crabbia, opened up at the 400m to race away to a 3 ¼-length win from Bee Ahead (Manoel Nunes) with Kim Divine (Joao Moreira) making ground late for third another 2 ½ lengths away.
Cannon Hill clocked the smart time of 2min 14.21secs, which is 0.6 second quicker than the four-year-old record held by El Dorado at his second Gold Cup win in 2009.
Shaw said there was still some water to go under the bridge until the 2013 renewal of the time-honoured race is run on November 17, but will certainly keep that option at the back of his mind as he plots the gelding’s future endeavours.
“He needed a strong pace and he got it today,” said the South African mentor. “I think the pacifiers also helped him settle down better today as he was too keen before.
“He seems to enjoy the 2200m and even broke El Dorado’s record. Unfortunately there aren’t enough of such races here.
“Fred bought this horse out of America after he ran in the Derby there, and has always had high hopes he would turn into a nice stayer here.
“The Gold Cup would certainly be a race we would look at for him, but we’ll have to take it race by race.”
Vorster said Cannon Hill did not have to necessarily be restricted to staying races to show his true colours.
“I don’t think we can say if 1800m would be too sharp for him. The most important thing is as long as he’s running well is what matters,” said Vorster. “We will just have to find a suitable race for him.
“They went at a good solid pace and he got into a nice rhythm right from the start. Things just worked out beautifully for us.
“Three runs back, he came from well behind, but I was just keeping up with the lead down the back so the others didn’t give us too big a start.
“In the straight, I knew he would win as soon as he put three to four lengths on them. At least, now we know where we are going with him.”
Cannon Hill was formerly prepared by leading Irish trainer Dermot Weld, who saddled him to two wins (both over seven furlongs) in eight starts before he sent him to the United States to contest the American Derby (1919m) in Arlington where he was well beaten by Willcox Inn.