Trumpy gives Clements another Gold Cup trump card
Argentinian import Trumpy (Lizard Island) finally got off the mark at his 14th Kranji start yesterday and has in the process all but booked his ticket for the Singapore Gold Cup (Gr 1, 2000m).
The timing could not have been better with the six-year-old coming with a sneaky run along the rails in the S$70,000 Better Life 2013 Stakes Kranji Stakes C race over 1800m, even if trainer Michael Clements must have had mixed feelings at the furlong pole with one of his own, a feisty Elite Incredible (Valid Stripes) standing in the way of that much-needed victory.
But under Oscar Chavez’s vigorous riding, Trumpy (S$36) knuckled down to the task to touch his stablemate off by a head.
Favourite Real Efecto (Real Impact) was too far back, but still motored home for third place another neck away, just nosing Wind Trail (Screen Hero) out of a podium finish. The winning time was 1min 48.78secs for the 1800m on the Long Course.
Clements was certainly welcoming the 1-2 as the perfect script given Elite Incredible is also nominated for the S$1 million Singapore Gold Cup on November 14, but on 77 points, he sat in 14th place in the order of entry and was almost assured of a berth while Trumpy sat just outside the borderline on 73 points (18th).
On paper, the Singapore champion trainer can now count on both in the blue riband, not to mention he already had his five leading hopes (later contesting the Group 1 Queen Elizabeth II Cup over 1800m) of Top Knight (Zoustar), Big Hearted (Hallowed Crown), Ocean Crossing (All Too Hard), So Hi Class (Dark Angel) and Prosperous Return (Fighting Sun) holding a Gold Cup seat at this stage.
Whether Trumpy will be one of his trump cards in the time-honoured race remains to be seen, but Clements was just happy to savour the moment he has finally got a local win out of the Argentinian seven-time winner formerly prepared by Cliff Brown.
“I don’t know much about his history, but I know he won all his seven races on dirt, and a lot of them over a distance,” said Clements.
“He ran a good race (fourth) in the Gold Cup when Cliff had him last year. He needed to win this race today to pick up more points towards this year’s Gold Cup.
“If he gets six points, he will get into the high 70s, and is likely to get a run. Elite Incredible also ran well, and he’s more or less guaranteed of a run as he has a higher rating (77).”
Clements said Trumpy’s run panned out beautifully with Chavez riding the rails throughout.
“He’s been running fair races all this time. He hasn’t been finishing too far off,” he said.
“He has been improving slowly and surely, and has come right at the right time.
“The ride just behind the leaders and getting the rails run definitely helped. It was a two-horse fight from the 200m, and Trumpy got there at the right time.
“The step-up to 1800m also helped as he’s been looking for more ground.”
That account-opener has now taken Trumpy’s prize-money past the S$95,000 mark for the Elvin Racing Stable, with the bulk of his previous earnings made from that fourth place in last year’s Singapore Gold Cup.
Fitzsimmons picks up another treble
Trainer Tim Fitzsimmons enjoyed a great day at the office when he brought up his second career treble.
Interestingly, the Australian’s big haul was achieved with horses who were not really prominent in the market, unlike at his first hat-trick on June 5 when Boomba (Showcasing), Don De La Vega (Lope De Vega) and Relentless (Hallowed Crown) were all well fancied.
Miracle (Stratum) (S$37) fired the first salvo in the opener, the $30,000 Top Knight 2020 Stakes Class 5 Division 1 (1200m) before Hero (Warrior’s Reward) (S$94) doubled the score four races later in the S$75,000 Laughing Gravy 2016 Stakes Novice (1400m) and Stunning Cat (Smart Missile) (S$63) completed the rout two events later in the S$50,000 Wild Geese 2014 Stakes Class 4 Division 1 race (1200m).
Fitzsimmons was delighted to have saddled two winners for his staunchest supporter, the Buffalo Stable (Miracle and Hero) while a win from Stunning Cat will always be celebrated at home as he shares the former Shane Baertschiger-trained galloper with his wife Joan.
“It’s great to train two winners for my biggest supporter Buffalo Stable, and one for myself and my wife,” said Fitzsimmons.
“All ran well, including Resurgence (Proisir) (fourth in Race 2). It’s been an amazing day, a big thank you to my staff.”
Obviously, the better of the trio of the winners is Stunning Cat, who had already proven to be a handy money spinner with four wins for Baertschiger, and has now kept up the same trend with a second win for Cliff Brown’s former assistant-trainer, bringing up his total stakes earnings past the S$260,000 mark.
Held in a one-off mid-division spot by leading apprentice jockey Hakim Kamaruddin, the seven-year-old produced the best finish when hooked towards the outside part of the straight inside the last 400m.
Hitting top gear, Stunning Cat wheeled away towards a comfortable two and three quarter length win from The August (I Am Invincible) with Lim’s Samurai (Samurai Heart) third another three-quarter length away. The winning time was 1min 9.77secs for 1200m on the Long Course.
“Hakim followed instructions to perfection. He allowed him to switch off and relax,” said Fitzsimmons.
“He showed a strong finish at the end. The key to this horse is to jump and sit, and get him to switch off.
“Last time he was caught in between horses and he didn’t like that.”
Hero was arguably the one punters did not see coming if his last place at his last start was any indication of his form, but Fitzsimmons was prepared to put a line through that run from the four-year-old.
“It wasn’t the plan to lead that day. That run left me scratching my head a little, but today we went back to riding him quiet off the speed” he said.
“I also think he didn’t like the blinkers the last time. He wanders around too much, but the blinkers didn’t work with him.
“He’s a progressive horse. The 1400m is his minimum trip, he’ll get better as he gets further.”
As for Miracle, Fitzsimmons said the more forward position in relation to the lead swung the race for the six-year-old.
“Miracle’s form has been mixed, but I was adamant he was a horse you need to get away better. He was too far back at his last start.
“It was a 10-out-of-10 ride from Marc.”
With that second win, Miracle has now made in excess of S$45,000 for the Buffalo Stable, who was later made richer by another S$40,000 from the winning cut earned by Hero, who himself has amassed more than S$50,000.
Strong N Smart back to his best
Former handy three-year-old Strong N Smart (Per Incanto) bounced back to his best form with an explosive last-to-first win on the card.
Things looked hairy for the S$8 hotpot at the top of the straight when he cornered into the back of a fortress of horses, but as he found clean air on the outside a run to the judge quickly unfolded, and it soon became just a matter of when the Leslie Khoo-trained gelding would sail home.
The well-backed Royalty (Fastnet Rock) had every chance when he struck the front in the straight, but had no answer to Strong N Smart’s burst. One length split them in the photo with the same margin holding Eagle Eye (Pure Prize) in third spot.
Strong N Smart clocked 1min 9.93secs for the 1200m on the Long Course. That third win has now seen his account swell past the S$110,000 mark for Khoo, who is his owner as well.
The facetious Singaporean handler couldn’t help himself to a bit of colourful language in describing his state of mind at the point of the turn.
“My b**** went up,” said Khoo. “I thought he couldn’t win from there.
“But Danny rode a very patient race. The gap came up and the Long Course also helped.”
Khoo said the short break after Strong N Smart’s unplaced run in the Singapore Three-Year-Old Sprint (Gr 3, 1200m) in June has helped furnish him out into a stronger individual.
“He’s come back stronger after the break. I’ve been building him up, he had a nice quiet trial two weeks ago,” he said.
Though all three victories have come in six-furlong turf races, Khoo said he would like to step him up over more ground.
“I think he’ll be even better over a longer trip. I’ll look for a 1400m race for him at some stage,” he said.
Lim’s Lightning out of QEII Cup after sustaining minor cuts from fall
Queen Elizabeth II Cup’s raging favourite Lim’s Lightning (Lope De Vega) was sensationally scratched on the morning of the big race due to a minor injury.
Trainer Daniel Meagher reported that the gelding was only metres away from reaching the stables after his afternoon walk yesterday when he suddenly got spooked by a noise, slipped and fell.
Luckily, he got back on his feet, but the fall was not without a scratch, especially around the right shoulder. He was duly treated, but the next morning, he was short.
It wasn’t a serious bruise, but the decision was still a no-brainer. Lim’s Lightning was coming out of the Cup.
Meagher was understandably dejected, but relieved at the same time, the horse was still in one piece.
“It was a freak accident during his walk yesterday afternoon. He was 20 metres away from walking into the barn when it happened,” said the Australian handler.
“He took fright at a noise that came opposite from where he walks. Not sure what it was, it was like something fell off a wall.
“He lost his footing, slipped to the side, and I was thinking to myself, he was so quiet, and how stupid is this, it took one noise and here he is on the ground.
“Like I said before, it doesn’t take much for him to get spooked by little things, and it’s happened at the worst time.
“He came back up right away, but he had some cuts and bruises. We stayed late cleaning his wounds not realising he would be lame.
“But on the next day he was short in his walk. It was nothing major, but we couldn’t run him.
“It’s disappointing, but more importantly, we’ve still got a horse. (Owner) Mr Lim (Siah Mong) is understanding and knows we’ve been very patient with this horse, but unfortunately, these things can happen.
“We’re moving on, and we can still bring him back for the same races next year.”
With Lim’s Lightning out, the S$300,000 Queen Elizabeth II Cup (Gr 1, 1800m) opens up a bit more, for example Singapore champion trainer Michael Clements’ chance of going back-to-back with Top Knight brightens up significantly. He also saddles four more runners, of whom Big Hearted is his next best chance.
Others like Hard Too Think (All Too Hard) and Minister (Street Sense) will also garner more support following the withdrawal of the hot favourite.