3 minute read

It seems wherever Joao goes the betting public flows and that should be the case this evening in the feature event on the card, the seventh race of nine at Kranji.

Joao Moreira had the choice of two other form rides in the S$75K Class Three on the long turf course D but is going with Trudeau for a very in form Bruce Marsh stable.

He rode the four-year-old entire by Exceed And Excel last start for the first time and was a luckless third on a yielding track over 1400m.

The last two placings over 1400m have shown Trudeau can win at this trip in Singapore after he looked unlikely to run it when trained in Melbourne by Lee Freedman.

Trudeau can handle a wet track no worries and is up to this select field of seven other runners opposing him.

The winner of his last race in White Coffee has come out and scored again since for a solid form reference.

You could call Trudeau on his record since coming to Singapore as 'Mr Third', with his last four runs here all returning third place behind some fair sorts such as Red Beard and Al's Knight.

The fact that Moreira had ridden the useful three-year-old Rush in every start bar one for two wins and also Super Guru four times for three wins and a second means his Trudeau choice is eyecatching indeed.

I rate this Class Three field tonight as much stronger than normal and there are some runners involved that will win many more times before their racing careers are over.

Damo like most Argentinean racehorses is not very big but can run like the wind and fight ferociously if required.

He is by the acclaimed USA sire Lode and came to the now united nations stable of Pat Shaw that has sourced runners from almost every part of the world.

Damo is quality and good things come in small packages.

His record at home was five starts for three wins and two placings, which includes a juvenile G1 win and G1 second over a mile on dry and wet footing respectively.

He is a versatile young horse and has won second up too so it is hard to find a weakness.

I liked his first up run in Singapore for third as he was backed of the map late and sped to the lead in a Class Three on turf.

After being taken on relentlessly he fought hard to place and the likes of Al's Knight missed paying a dividend for the first time and Rush, a rival again here, could only finish fifth.

Damo received 3.5kg from Rush (Moreira aboard) and beat him home by a length, so this evening with the same gap I find it hard to not see anything else but history being repeated.

Remember the Damo name for feature three-year-old racing this year and that he is a miler and should be Triple Crown bound.

Rush will be ridden by Stephen Baster, who has taken to Kranji like he belongs here since arriving and his services are quickly being lapped up by many other stables.

I thought his last start was okay and he was winding up again the closing stages plus how can you leave out a Michael Freedman trained runner at the moment.

The 3kg increase should not hamper him too much being a strong son of Charge Forward.

Super Guru has won all his races on turf and is raced by the Joy N Happiness stable that are having a 'super' time of late and must think this game is 'easy'!

This is his first look at Class Three and one Brazilian is replaced with another, as Ivaldo Santana has picked up the ride.

It is hard to knock the way Super Guru puts away his rivals on the turf and the only time he has clashed with Rush beat him home half a length and by two placings.

The gap then between the pair in the weights saw Rush give Super Guru 2.5kg and this evening there is just a 2kg separation.

Shining Glory if this race were on the poly would be the one to beat but being on the turf it brings the natural on pacer back into the fold to some extent.

However do not think his turf record of five starts for three placings means he cannot win as the Don Baertschiger trained and John Powell ridden gelding can.

Two starts ago over a mile under 55kg on the turf he led and was caught a nasal hair on the post in a gripping finish by the rugged Pat Shaw trained runner Power Blitz.

Shining Glory gets better with racing and once in form holds it so second up here you will see some improvement but more is to come.

His record is too consistent to leave him out with three wins and ten placings from nineteen starts and that also sees a pair of fourths and fifths.

His fresh up sixth on the poly over 1100m behind the flying and talented Yin Xin (four wins and three seconds in seven starts) was not too bad at all.

Jet Stream looks a nice horse on the rise and I expect some big things from him this year with stamina in the mix later on too.

He is being deep-ended here going up in class and it is to get the weight of his back, so down to the minimum here of 52kg should not be dismissed.

Super Czar is a proven turf winner six times but he can be near impossible to predict.

His last win was a Class Two on turf over 1400m and the last time he ran in Class Three the result was a second under 57.5kg four starts ago.

Last start saw him found out at G3 on the poly and here he has 56.5kg so he cannot be left out of your multiples.

The only other runner is Lady Trio and she is a winner in waiting when down to Class Four, which is close at hand.

The choice of Joao makes you lean towards Trudeau tonight and the bettors certainly will be following en masse with copious cash in hand.

Damo does look a big win chance and dismiss Shining Glory at your punting peril.

Enjoy the Joao, Trudeau and Damo show.