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A Glen Boss special big race ride brought the Stephen Gray trained Lim’s Cruiser through the field to claim a second S$1m, SGroup 1 Lion City Cup (1200m) in succession at Kanji on Saturday setting off celebrations including from the jockey himself in the typical Boss manner.
The race was just the Casino Prince’s second of this campaign with the first resulting in a third to Distinctive Darcy in the SGroup 2 Merlion Trophy over 1200m on the Polytrack on April 27th.
Gray and Boss were confident of Lim’s Cruiser repeating his 2017 victory until the barrier draw when stall 13 came up in the full field. Steel nerves were going to be required with a ride for luck attitude from settling back.
Zac Kasa and Craig Grylls set the pace from barrier 16 going forward fast and hard. That set the pattern of the race and helped the cause for Boss as he brought Lim’s Cruiser across from their wide start to find the rails.
As Zac Kasa and Grylls towed the field through the wide bottom turn with a 2L lead Lim’s Cruiser and Boss were in the second half sporting some 8L from the leader.
Passing the 300m Zac Kasa was still 2L out and not stopping. Raise No Doubt and Mr Fantastic followed and further back Boss had started his forward progress. The early speed from Zac Kasa had opened up the field, but Boss still had to navigate between them to give Lim's Cruiser his target.
The margin at the 200m was still 2L, but by then Boss had Lim’s Cruiser showing his superior turn of foot and the margin closed rapidly. Lim’s Cruiser swept past Zac Kasa with 75m to run and went away to a comprehensive 1 1/2L win that left no doubt as to his credentials as Singapore’s leading sprinter.
The three-year-old Zac Kasa (Reset) and Grylls were rewarded for their early pace with second and Countofmontecristo and Alicia Collett came through for third, the margin 2 3/4L. Rafaello was fourth. The heavily backed Mister Yeoh was seventh
The time was a smart 1.09.39 on the Yielding rated track with the final 600m in 35.12 after rain through the early part of the programme.
“The first corner was a bit awkward as he began like he wanted to race, so it took me a little bit of wrestling to get him back. Once I got him back I ducked across to the fence as that was always our plan. He was either going to unlucky getting beat or he was going to come quick,” said Boss.
“With these conditions we knew he would handle the going, so it was a matter of picking my way through the field and I had the horse to do it.
“Stephen Gray has given this horse a faultless preparation, honestly it has been faultless. He deserves all the credit.
“He was game, he had to pick up three or four lengths, but he is the best sprinter here.
“I was surprised the three-year-old (Zac Kasa) was still there and obviously he is obviously a very good horse and he will be one of the best sprinters here in the future for sure.
“Until the draw came out I was super confident, but when it came out I thought what had I done as I have had bad draws in all the races. But Stephen sent me a very good text during the week, he said ‘back yourself and back the horse’, it was a really good text message,” he said.
“Bloody fantastic, I am so happy, as I have being having a tough run actually and the last two weeks I have been frustrated with seconds and seconds and to win that I am just so over the moon as I set the horse for the race,” said Gray.
“That is Glen Boss isn’t it. He had a shocker with me last week and I could have killed him and I said to him ‘only you can do this now’ and he did. He does, he is a freak. He got on the fence which was amazing so I am pleased for Glen, he has not had the best run lately has I have not.
“But the cream rises to the top,” he said.
Lim’s Cruiser, out of the Good Journey mare Hope Downs, was winning for the seventh time from 19 starts, and with seven placings he has earned stakes heading past S$1.6 million for prominent owner Mr Lim of Lim’s Stable.
