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Two-year-old third-Leg winner Yaya Papaya won’t figure among the line-up at the next instalment of the Singapore Golden Horseshoe series this Sunday, but the winning trainer-jockey combination will be.
Trainer Leslie Khoo is saddling Auspicious Day in the $90,000 Inglis Ready2Race Stakes (1200m) and has again gone with Yaya Papaya’s winning partner Glen Boss for the steering duties.
The son of Showcasing has by far the most mileage among the 12 contenders, with three starts under the belt, including one in Restricted Maiden company on debut when last. He fared better at his next two starts in the first and second Legs of the juvenile series, running fifth to Charger (Kranji Nursery Stakes over 1000m) and second to Whistling Win (Singapore Silver Horseshoe over 1000m), for Alan Munro on both occasions.
With the in-form English hoop sticking with Lucky Master despite his status as the first standby starter - no doubt impressed by his flying third to Yaya Papaya in the third Leg - Khoo had to look elsewhere, but did not have to search high and low.“After Munro decided to stick with Alwin Tan’s horse. I was more than happy to get Bossy on Auspicious Day,” said Khoo.
“The horse has had three runs and they were not bad at all, especially the last two. I think the 1200m on grass will suit him better.
“He’s a very small horse, but he’s got the experience edge over the other two-year-olds. He’s easy to train and I hope he can run a good race on Sunday.”
Boss sat on the Angie No 3 Stable-owned Auspicious Day for the first time on Tuesday during a track gallop, and shared Khoo’s opinion he should be able to rise to the challenge, even if size-wise, he would be quite close to the ground.
“He’s the tiniest of horses. He reminds me of a yearling on parade,” said the Australian Hall of Famer.
“But he is very genuine, very competitive, and I felt that at a gallop on Tuesday. He’s got that get-up-and-go which you look for in a horse.
“The one thing in his favour is his greater racing experience. It counts for a lot in racing, it’s always handy when they know what it is all about, and this bloke certainly does know.”
Khoo is saving Yaya Papaya for the grand final, the Group 2 Aushorse Golden Horseshoe (1200m) on July 7, but hopes Auspicious Day and possibly, a few more can also face the starter that day.
“I have quite a few two-year-olds this year. It was always the intention to skip the next two Legs for Yaya Papaya and go for the last Leg, the Group 2 race instead,” said the former top jockey.
“Today, another one trialled, Phan Nee Star (x Iffraaj) and he went good. He finished second in his barrier trial. I will probably run him in the fifth Leg.
“If he goes well, then I hope he can also make it in the Group 2 race.”
The fifth and penultimate Leg of the annual series is the IRT Juvenile Stakes (1200m) on June 23.