3 minute read
Newly-minted Singapore Horse of the Year Elite Invincible is not getting a chance to sleep on his laurels.
Backed off since his Group 1 Dester Singapore Gold Cup (2000m) triumph in November, Elite Invincible came out for his first barrier trial on Tuesday, one day after his crowning moment at the Racing Appreciation Night held at the JW Marriott Hotel South Beach.
The Irish-bred five-year-old son of Archarcharch is being prepped up for a feature race assignment at his first 2019 outing – the $200,000 Group 3 Fortune Bowl (1400m) on February 6.
Ridden by his Gold Cup-winning partner Benny Woodworth, Elite Invincible took it easy in the first half before being tested as he circled the field to attack the line three wide. He ran third to Countofmontecristo in a trial that looked like a Fortune Bowl dress rehearsal with other entries Blizzard and Mr Clint also featured.
While a sense of pride about his 2018 achievement still lingered, it has now given way to a mixture of trepidation and apprehension.
“It’s good for (Elite Performance Stable’s) Aloy (Chew) and Sennett (Ho) and the whole team,” said Walker.
“They involve a lot of people and introduce them to racing. It was a flip of the coin between Elite Invincible and Debt Collector, but I think him winning the Gold Cup was the clincher.
“He had just one run over 1400m into the Gold Cup. It was such a good effort, it’s actually a unique performance.
“It was also a brilliant ride from Benny. Elite Invincible deserved the title.
“He had a nice break after the Gold Cup and he will run in the Fortune Bowl next. It’s a good nice race to kick off.
“The only concern is whether he can be up to Weight-for-Age (WFA) conditions. He will carry 58kgs – we never known how he will take the transition from handicap to WFA.
“He’s a pretty big horse at 520-525kgs, though, so he can carry weights, no worries there, but he’s risen from 61 to 104 points in one year. He’s done a hell of a lot in one season.”
Walker, however, felt his charge needed to shed the few kilos gained during the Christmas break – hence his request to Woodworth to give him a squeeze in the trial.
“He’s going to run 1400m first-up. I wanted him to have a nice trial,” said the New Zealand handler.
“When I weighed him on Sunday, it was 529kgs which is above his racing weight. I think today’s trial will bring him on.”
Woodworth, who has partnered Elite Invincible to two of his six Kranji wins, including the Gold Cup, jumped off with a positive report as he debriefed Walker, Chew and Ho after the searching hit-out.
“To me, he trialled the same way he did before he won the Gold Cup,” said Woodworth.
“He went really good.”
Mr Chew has been on Cloud Nine since Monday, but is fully aware that their stable star will have to fight for his spot at the top from now on.
“Elite Invincible has surprised us with his success last year. It was quite remarkable for him to rise to that level,” said Mr Chew.
“The Fortune Bowl will be his comeback race. He’s been working well, but my only worry is the top weight.”
While Elite Invincible will be Walker’s only runner in the traditional Lunar New Year feature, he did have a sparring partner in Tuesday’s barrier trial, Prince Pegasus, who unlike his more illustrious stablemate, has everything to prove. He ran sixth.
“Prince Pegasus took a while to acclimatise. He had to get used to the weather,” said Walker of the Dato Terry Lee-owned Beneteau five-year-old.
“He had quite a good career in Brisbane where he won four races (between 1200m and 1600m when prepared by Toby Edmonds). He likes wet tracks and I think he wants to a go a bit further here.”
