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Champion trainer Alwin Tan came away with mixed feelings after Thursday’s barrier trials where he had three of his headline horses going around.
Conflight, Nova Swiss and Irish-bred Group 2 winner Senator, who has yet to make his Kranji debut, are the trio that performed under Tan’s watchful eyes in two different heats.
While the first duo had Tan beaming after they finished 1-2 (Conflight holding Nova Swiss off by a head in Trial 2), Senator’s fourth place in the next heat seemed to send the message it was still work in progress for the new Thai-owned Norfolk Stakes (1000m) winner.
“I was very happy with the first trial. Conflight just held on from Nova Swiss for first and second,” said Tan.
“I think Conflight is ready for his comeback but I had to change plans with him. There was a Kranji Stakes C race over 1100m but it was changed to an Open Benchmark 83 race this Monday.
“Now, I’m looking at a Class 3 race over 1200m, either on February 5 or 19, or else there is a Class 3 race over 1000m on Polytrack on March 10, but that’s too far away.
“Ideally, I would have preferred a 1000m or 1100m race for him first-up, but that’s the way it is now.”
The Group 3 Dester Singapore Three-Year-Old Sprint (1200m) winner has not raced since his last place in the third Leg of the Singapore Three-Year-Old Challenge, the Group 1 Singapore Guineas (1600m) on May 15.
Regular partner Oscar Chavez had no doubt in his mind the son of Host was primed to step into his racing plates, even if his usual quirks were still there.
“Once he hit the front, he wanted to stop as usual. I had to again get stuck into him to get him to the line,” said the Panamanian-born jockey.
“It’s only when Nova Swiss came up next to him that he got going again. That’s the way he is and he hasn’t changed a bit.
“To me, he’s ready but we can’t seem to find the right race for him.”
Tan’s trial quinella was even talked up as Dubai possibles a few weeks ago, but their trainer said he preferred to wait and see how things pan out at home first before pressing on with such lofty plans.
“We’ll see how they go here. Nova Swiss will also make his comeback next week in the Open Benchmark 97 race over 1000m (February 5),” he said.
“As for Senator, it was his fourth trial here, but I think he is still acclimatising, being an Irish-bred. Maybe he’s more of a turf horse as well.”
As opposed to his last barrier trial when he was more forward and was ridden out by Manoel Nunes before he weakened to sixth place, the Zoffany entire settled in midfield in Thursday’s trial in a bid to use his dash to finish off.
But Senator lacked a bit of punch in the drive to the line while the winner Caorunn (Matthew Kellady), who himself has not raced since his third place to Mystic Master in the Group 3 Juvenile Championship (1200m) last July, ambled comfortably to the line four lengths ahead.
“Manoel rode him positive at his last run, just to test him a bit. He was a bit flat and ran sixth,” said Tan.
“This time, he rode him quieter, but he did not quite run on. He’s still on the fat side, but I would say he is ready to make his comeback after a long rest.
“I’ve already picked his first race, which will be the Open Benchmark 67 race over 1000m next Friday (February 3). I’m sure that first race will bring him on.
“We will then see about Dubai for all three of them.”
One horse that Tan had a few people asking him about his unorthodox path to Sunday’s $200,000 Group 3 Fortune Bowl (1600m) is Nova Strike.
“A lot of people were wondering how come Nova Strike is backing up this Sunday in the Fortune Bowl, from 1200m to 1600m,” said Tan.
“But actually, that is the race that I’ve long spotted for him when it was announced it would be brought back from 2000m to 1600m this year.
“He’s more of a miler now and even though he ran over 1200m last Friday, that was because I couldn’t find a better race for him. After his barrier trial (January 12), he was fit to race and we had no other choice but to run him.
“It was a small field. He was a little checked but he still finished very strongly to run second (to Wimbledon)
“He has pulled up well after that race and Manoel was happy with his condition. He said it should not be any problem to race him in the Fortune Bowl.”