3 minute read
The open Benchmark 97 over 1400m in SIngapore tonight has multiple leaders and numerous weight droppers from last start so makes for a most interesting feature race rumble.
The eighth race on the Kranji card of nine is for S$95K and will be run on the short course turf E track and lots of intriguing competitors will be involved.
Whether they are resuming, running for a new stable or are at the right striking zone of their current preparations, it will be a super seven furlongs of sustained speed and pressure.
The speed in the race leader wise comes from inside barriers, handy draws and wide gates, so we should see a drag race of note early on and it is hard to see anything but a fast time being posted.
The weight droppers of substantial amounts are the ones that catch my eye as in a torrid contest a fitness level is required along with as less weight as possible to maintain the burn.
I can see five wanting the lead early and three of them will keep going to 'psyche-out' the others to show whose boss and the riders here do play a major bluffing role.
Mr Raffles since resuming has gone two super races for the Michael Freedman stable and last start lay down a marker for rivals with Greg Cheyne riding for the first time.
He held the lead on the inner last start under 58kg in an Open Benchmark 83 over 1200m and despite getting attacked relentlessly by the favourite, a lightweight carrying 7.5kg less called Indicio, no quarter was given.
The pair were still slugging it out until the closing 100m and ended up being swamped into third and fourth (Mr Raffles) respectively but the message was sent out loud and clear.
Attacking Mr Raffles throughout is a losing ticket.
I have no doubt Indicio gassed itself and Mr Raffles chances in the process, when with such a substantial weight pull the need to do so was not required at all.
This evening Mr Raffles drops a staggering 8kg and will come out humming from the inside barrier, so leave him out at your peril on the minimum.
He is a three-time winner at 1400m and has won third up plus all his six wins (two in New Zealand) have come on turf.
One of the potential early attackers for the front is the stablemate of the likely favourite One More Minute, with a 3kg claimer aboard Happy Everybody that should ensure it comes out running from gate four.
The fact the race is 1400m may make the apprentice think twice about burning for too long, as Happy Everybody is just a single winner at the trip.
His fourth last week in the Canada Cup behind Excavator, Ato and Mr Big was a solid effort and makes sound form reading.
One other possible burn over sprinter and keep the heat on type is the third up specialist Golden Number from the Leticia Dragon stable that has eight wins already this season.
She is currently ahead of the 2011 premiership winning Pat Shaw stable at the moment.
Golden Number went okay last start and it is hard to overlook his third up record of two wins and a placing from as many starts in such a state.
Ismail Saifudin will ride the nine-race winner and he was aboard Indicio when it drag-raced with Mr Raffles, so round two could be on at Kranji tonight!
The pair that swamped Indicio and Mr Raffles are both in again tonight with Art Of Speed better second up and having a senior rider aboard this time while One More Minute and Joao Moreira are dangerous drawn two.
One More Minute has won third up and is yet to be beaten this campaign plus the 1400m is suitable having already won up to a mile before.
Art Of Speed in a fast run race will detonate better than anything because when he hits full stride late nothing will go with him.
He and One More Minute at 51.5kg will capitalise greatly the more solid the pace is up front.
If a few go silly and gas each other then Stephen Baster on Art Of Speed and Moreira on One More Minute will say thankyou chaps whilst striding by the closing 100m.
An interesting resumer is Flying West that runs for the Pat Shaw stable now and he has been well trialled and impressed a couple of times too.
The former Basil Marcus trained sprinter is lethal fresh up with a three-from-four striking rate and is a five-time victor at 1400m.
The six-year-old from gate three is the value for your multiples as he could end up with a perfect sit to the home turn.
He won his first trial for Shaw last September and beat Dr Grigoros, which takes some effort on the poly.
The latest trial win by Flying West came a couple of weeks ago and was comfortable.
There is barely a runner in the feature tonight that cannot win, as even the stamina class act Clint is dangerous fresh up and 59kg is not going to bother the big fella.
Parfumier knows how to run on if too many go mad up front and gives the Freedman stable a backrunner with the frontrunner Mr Raffles, so they have both tempo bases covered.
Dragon World has a good record on turf and at 1400m plus last start was third to Super Easy and Ato, which is serious form.
How good is Davide and will he run 1400m at this level?
We will find out tonight and Barend Vorster going here for the Shaw stable is not surprising.
Probably only the bottom pair of Getreel, which can burn for the front early, and the stayer second up Steadfast Warrior, are not serious win chances.
The betting will scream One More Minute and Art Of Speed but if Mr Raffles can get some respect then he can deliver here at nice odds.
Flying West is your value runner and rider Allan Munro would like to get a feature race result for the Shaw stable.
Enjoy the motor-matching main event and you can be sure some good horses will be paying big overs in such a frenetic field.