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After a few chats with the owners, trainer Desmond Koh decided to throw in Oxbow Sun and Battle Of Troy at the deep end in the $300,000 Group 2 Stewards’ Cup (1400m) on Sunday.
The Singaporean would have been in the same ‘nothing ventured nothing gained’ frame of mind when he entered longshot Safety Outlet (V Sivan) in the same race 10 years ago.
No doubt, the feature race was only a Group 3 race then, and not the first Leg of the Singapore Four-Year-Old Challenge it has been since 2010, but regardless of the stakes at play, the young handler winged it - and went home with his first silverware tucked under his arm that afternoon.
The task looks harder this time. The best four-year-olds in the land are there – Singapore Horse of the Year Debt Collector making his racing comeback, Lim's Cruiser who has swept three Group races at his last three runs, Merlion Trophy-JBBA Moonbeam Vase winner Infantry and Lion City Cup runner-up Alibi.
Oxbow Sun (67) and Battle Of Troy (66) are staring at a gap in class yawning from 27 to 44 points vis-à-vis the four horses just mentioned, and at level weights, it is now in Grand Canyon proportions.
Koh of course had these immovable facts uppermost in his mind when weighing up the pros and cons with the owners Cheng Ting Kong (Oxbow Sun) and PFG Racing Stable (Battle Of Troy), but he went with his heart.
“There is no harm in having a bit of a benchmark against the big guns,” said legendary US trainer Jack van Berg’s former assistant-trainer.
“The distance suits both of them. They’re both in good form and after discussing with the owners, we thought why not.
“I think it’s a great thing that the owners came have a bit of fun and enjoyment in a big race. The thrill of a big race is different.
“Besides, they turn four only once. Whether I had the 4YO series in mind for them from the start, yes and no; they had to show they could measure up first.”
Precisely, that is where some sceptics could have a case in point. Oxbow Sun won only once, from start to finish in a Class 3 race over 1400m, but was a fading 11th at his last run while Battle Of Troy held so much promise with two consecutive wins over 1400m last year, but other than a smack-up second to Absolute Miracle, this year’s campaign has not quite soared to the expected heights.
The odds look stacked against Koh’s duo, but the Singapore Derby-winning trainer (Chase Me in 2012) still hopes they can still bring their A-game in the first Leg of the Singapore Four-Year-Old Challenge on Sunday.
“Battle Of Troy has been a little disappointing and that’s why I have freshened him up,” said Koh of the son of Flying Spur who has not raced since his sixth place to Lim’s Samurai on April 7.
“I gave him some time off and he trialled nicely today (third to David Hill’s newcomer Prince Alexander). Alan Munro was very happy with him and will ride him in the Stewards’ Cup.
“Oxbow Sun is a pretty versatile sort, who doesn’t necessarily have to lead. He was caught wide at his last start, and we can forget that run.”
Koh has yet to decide between Group 1 winning-Benny Woodworth or champion apprentice jockey Wong Chin Chuen for the ride on Oxbow Sun.
