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Trainer Michael Clements prepares a small team of runners on Friday, but could still find his way to a good night at the office.
With only four horses running at the standalone meeting, the Zimbabwean-born handler may not have the quantity, but he sure has the quality to fire a few more home - and add to his current tally of 36 winners in his bid to stay in touch behind the leading pair of Shane Baertschiger and Mark Walker (40 winners).
Whether it’s debutant Trapio in the $85,000 Restricted Maiden race over 1200m, the double act of Stock Broker and Drone in the Class 4 Non Premier race over 1000m, or the fairly consistent but still winless mare Elena Of Avalor in the $20,000 Maiden race over 1600m, they all lay decent claims at the top prize for their handler.
He also has EA1 Ettijah in the $80,000 Class 3 race over 1100m.
Based on their recent forms, be it in races or trials, Clements’ quartet of runners should all be thereabouts on paper, but their trainer is well aware they can easily miss the mark if things don’t go their way.
“I’ve got some pretty good chances on paper this Friday,” said Clements.
“Drone went pretty hard at his last start, too hard early on (led from his better-fancied stablemate Loving You, who defeated him in third place eventually). He’ll be better off ridden behind the leader.
“Still, it was good to see him run an improved race at his last start after two moderate runs.
“First of all, he’s better over the Polytrack and at one of them, he ran on turf. He was still a colt before and we had him gelded. He had some time off afterwards and was probably not ready at his next run.
“Stock Broker’s form is coming back. He’s back in his right place where he has been running his better races.”
Clements has booked Vlad Duric on Stock Broker and Glen Boss on Drone while Duric jumps aboard newcomer Trapio and Singapore champion apprentice jockey Wong Chin Chuen becomes the ninth rider to bid for a first win aboard the Joe Singh-owned Elena Of Avalor.
“Trapio looked pretty impressive at his barrier trial win last week (August 14). He showed a bit of speed, and if he reproduces that form off the trial, he should be in the shake-up.
“He’s a very forward-going horse. But as he’s by Shamus Award, a Cox Plate winner, he is bred to go further.
“The mile is uncharted territory for Elena Of Avalor. She’s been more effective in Class 4 company over sprints so far, but she’s still a maiden.
“She has some ability and if she handles the step-up in distance, she should run a good race.”
Clements was also quite a busy man at the barrier trials on Thursday. He had six horses going through the session, with most of the attention understandably being paid to Only Win, who runs next week in the Group 3 Moonbeam Vase (1600m) on September 2.
Ridden for the first time by Ryan Curatolo, the US-bred four-year-old, whose last start was a noteworthy fourth to Jupiter Gold in the Group 1 Emirates Singapore Derby (1800m) on July 15, dropped to the rear before being scrubbed up late to finish fifth around four lengths off the winner Infantry, whom he will meet again in the Moonbeam Vase.
“That was a nice trial for Only Win. Ryan rode him this morning and took it easy on him,” said Clements.
“But he won’t be able to take the ride in the Moonbeam Vase as he’s suspended. I haven’t yet decided who will ride him.”
Only Win scored a three-in-a-row earlier in the year. Olivier Placais was aboard at the first two with the third one coming under Alan Munro’s guidance in a Kranji Stakes C race over 1600m on March 2.
Munro stayed right through during the Singapore Four-Year-Old Challenge, in which Only Win put in creditable results, but not the win, contrary to what his name suggests – closing sixth in the Group 1 Stewards’ Cup (1400m), followed to two fourths in the other two Legs, the Group 1 Giovanni Racing Charity Cup (1600m) and the Group 1 Emirates Singapore Derby (1800m).
