3 minute read

The late season flurry of Michael Freedman success has been substantial to put it mildly but today it can continue via a certain Mr Big, which is unbeaten on the strathayr.

Mr Big is part of a 'baby battalion' that Freedman is forming in his stable with young star gallopers winning big races and making big strides to the top tier.

If they are good enough then they are old enough.

It should be making rival trainers at Kranji tremble in fear because this Freedman posse of young guns will only be a year older and stronger in 2012 and most likely even more potent.

The ninth race on the card today is the S$95K Class Two over 1200m and it is a decent field of sprinting speed and several will go onto win many more races.

However the lone three-year-old in the field is the favourite and one to beat, with Mr Big yet to be beaten on turf in three outings for Freedman and I should add for rider Danny Beasley.

Barrier eight will not be stopping Mr Big, which is an average sized gelding but in possession of serious speed and an immense will to win.

He is by Elusive Quality, which if they had a category of best dramatic newcomer or most sudden influential sire of young stars then he would be accepting the award from host Billy Crystal.

The funny thing is the sire, as it is with many actors, has been around for a few years but suddenly is getting deserved recognition.

The stunning surge of Sepoy in Australia as a juvenile and then Mr Big as a late appearing baby in Singapore captured the early attention.

Well just to show it was no fluke we find that pair have come back as three-year-olds and are still dishing out lessons in speed and how to win.

Sepoy has won nine of his ten starts and is already a G1 winner four times.

Mr Big is like a lot of the Elusive Quality stock in that they have a very high cruising speed and much to the dismay of rivals can sustain it for quite a while too.

The last start win by Mr Big against a tidy Progress field under 52.5kg was a turf thumping of note and it will take a flubbing of lines or something unexpected today for something else to accept the winning award.

He actually goes down 2.5kg here even though has never carried 50kg before and may not depending on Beasley having one lettuce leaf or two for dinner the night before in preparation!

The next two youngest runners in the feature are both four-year-olds and one is a tank that is simply burying his way to open class and the other a big boy too but having just his second run since coming over from New Zealand.

Hammer Down is fast and has won second up, with this now Bruce Marsh trained galloper appealing as the one that could try to hit Mr Big hard and early.

He came to Singapore with a reputation and had won at G3 over 1200m in New Zealand and finished fifth at G1 in the Levin Classic (1600m) after setting a torrid pace.

The gelding started in the same Progress field that Mr Big blew away and the money did come for him very solidly but sixth beaten five lengths was the outcome.

He carried 58kg (5.5kg more than Mr Big) and today after a claim could potentially carry 2.5kg less than the Freedman wonder youngster, which is an incredible 8kg swing.

Hammer Down can leave the gates like a bullet and being drawn four while Mr Big is out at eight should make for some interesting fireworks.

I would suggest hammer time could be making a come back.

Excavator is a big powerful entire that has won half his starts and when he is beaten the hole has been dug for anything that dared tried to mix and match it with him.

He has only won the once on turf and resumes here carrying 58.5kg, with none of those facts concerning being a big strong fresh up proven performer.

His five starts on turf apart from the Class Three win under 55kg by nearly three lengths in 1:09.96, also returned two seconds and a fourth and sixth.

The seconds were both miniscule defeats and one of them at G3 by Gingerbread Man, while the sixth came at G1 over 1400m (also won by Gingerbread Man).

The fourth was when Excavator last raced and came in the G3 Paititi Trophy mid July and he carried 50kg and was beaten just over a length in the 1200m feature.

I still think the effort to keep going and remaining in the fight by Excavator was one of the best unplaced efforts seen at Kranji this year, as he began poorly and the apprentice then moved up wide.

To say he was deep throughout and working is an understatement and to loom large and be beaten so little by the likes of Argy Bargy, Waikato and Merchant was staggering in a 1:09.94 run and won race.

I am sure he slept for days but has trialled twice over the last two months towards resuming and the master of making a horse feel like he is not carrying topweight in Jose Verenzuela is aboard for the first time.

Verenzuela is an inspired choice as wait until he rides Excavator on the all weather track because then the professor of poly will really unearth just how good the horse is.

Primera Espada being the choice of Joao Moreira warrants respect and is performing super with spaced racing.

In the last five starts with the top rider on his record is three wins and two placings.

Overall it is even better with nine times atop for five wins and four placings.

That record could be under risk here as Primera Espada has raced once on the turf for a sixth over 1400m behind Silveron Wings.

The turf record of many in the field is sketchy and perhaps Collect The Cash (4 wins) down to 48kg after a claim is a value chance drawn the ace.

He looked bright enough in a trial earlier this month too my eye.

Apart from him the recent thirds of Dragon World read well and he is a four-time turf winner at Kranji plus drops 1kg here from last start.

It looks like a case of a digger and a hammer trying to bury or nail Mr Big in the feature event.

Enjoy the race.