3 minute read
Good News bounced back to winning form and inflicted a second straight defeat on progressive sprinter Lincoln Road at Kranji on Sunday.
Good News had disappointed when dropping out to beat just one runner home at his previous start but had won in open company before that and found his best again in taking out the Korea Racing Authority Trophy over 1200m.
Good News clearly appreciated the return to the all weather, the surface where he has produced eight of his nine career victories.Lincoln Road went into the contest as favourite with most punters expecting him to bounce back after tasting defeat for the first time in six Singapore outings at his previous run.
The race was run a swift tempo with The General, Triple Five and Nova Warrior all vying for the lead, allowing Lincoln Road to settle fifth while Good News was spotting the frontrunners many lengths near the tail.Lincoln Road made his move on the bend but Good News followed him forward and quickly ranged alongside the favourite in the straight.
Lincoln Road tried to rally but Good News was going too strongly and drew away to beat Lincoln Road by a length, with Rich Fortune running on into third 3.3 lengths off the winner.Good News has won from 1000m to 1400m but his turn of foot makes 1200m the perfect distance for him, Sunday’s win his fourth at the trip.
Lincoln Road won’t have lost too many admirers in defeat at his first try in open company and with his previous wins all coming at 1000m or 1100m, he looks to have more wins in store at that distance range.Earlier on the program, Bahana made it back-to-back wins when landing a class 3 over 1800m.
A narrow winner of his previous start in a class 4 over a mile, he relished the step up in journey, camping behind the speed and tracking into the race strongly early in the straight.Bahana had to work hard to overhaul the leaders but found another gear to hit the line strongly and easily hold the chasers at bay, winning by a length over Damon with Iking another half length away third.
The win was Bahana’s fourth from just nine career runs and the four-year-old looks capable of racing through his grades.Also on Sunday Viviano made it two from two this campaign in winning the class 3 over 1400m.
Coming off a strong two-length win when resuming earlier this month, Viviano settled fourth on the fence in the run and was presented with a dream run as the field straightened.He set out after the leader Hades but had to fight hard to get the upper hand, eventually prevailing by a neck in a busy finish over the fast-finishing Above The Skyline and Hades.
The disappointment of the race was Cyborg, who had won three of his four previous starts but laboured in the straight to finish fifth, beaten 2.3 lengths.Friday night’s Kranji meeting saw Rafaello tough out a narrow win in the feature, the open benchmark 83 over 1200m.
The Australian bred three-year-old has hit a purple patch of form, Friday’s victory his second from his last three outings.Rafaello was tried in Group 1 company earlier this campaign and while he wasn’t up to the Singapore Guineas, he found this grade much more to his liking.
He camped in the box seat in the run but took most of the straight to overhaul the early leader White Hunter, then holding off the late surge of Flak Jacket to win by a neck.The win was further evidence of Rafaello’s effectiveness at 1200m, all five of his career wins coming at the sprint trip.
The program began with dominant victories in the opening two races, Stock Broker winning the class 5 over 1000m by 6.3 lengths before Super Hero won the restricted maiden over 1200m by five lengths.Stock Broker deserved another win – just his third from 32 runs – after running top four at each of his six runs since his last victory in February.
Super Hero led throughout and never looked in danger, the New Zealand bred son of Rip Van Winkle breaking through at his fourth career start.Storm Trooper finished the program on a winning note for punters in taking out the class 4 over 1600m.
The four year-old gelded son of Tavistock has really put it together with maturity for two wins and three placings from his last five starts and more wins appear in store when in his right grade.