3 minute read
The ninth race on the card tonight does look a Nandowra benefit despite a few factors against the strongly built four-year-old.
His trainer Michael Freedman has made no secret of not being able to run Nandowra more than once recently when the races he nominated for never had enough in numbers to be carded.
There must be a slight fitness query on the gelded son of Savabeel and he does have 58kg to carry this evening in the S$95K Open Benchmark 83 over the mile on the poly track.
However he is such a fierce competitor that his quality can rise to the occasion, as his record indicates, and I have him earmarked already as a Singapore Derby contender this year.
He has finished in the first four in ten of his eleven starts with his only miss coming when deep-ended in the G1 Singapore Gold Cup run on slow footing last year.
Nandowra on the poly has raced three times for a win and two seconds, with the runner up efforts coming behind the gifted Dark Matter and proven Paulinho.
Joao Moreira, who should be fronting an airline advertising campaign as he is flying back and forward between Singapore on weekends to compete and win in Australia, will be atop Nandowra much to the delight of bettors.
The physical toll of riding so many horses in two countries over a 48 hour period is a testimony to his fitness levels and mental strength plus flying clearly does not prevent him from snoozing!
We find Moreira has ridden Nandowra twice for a win (on the poly importantly) and a fourth but he should be legged up onto a much stronger galloper this year.
His report afterwards to the Michael Freedman stable will be quite important as to the improvement since he last rode the horse in July and August.
Freedman is juggling Meydan duties and trying to get his four runners in Dubai performing better than they currently are, with his foreman reporting the team is good shape.
I suspect they are running into a stronger class of opposition at this time of the year and weight wise have not always been well situated in their races but that is to be expected as the big Meydan meeting is fast approaching.
He will fly the Freedman flag and represent Singapore racing with aplomb again in Meydan sooner rather than later.
The danger tonight to Nandowra looks on class to be the Pat Shaw prepared Power Blitz, which is yet to win on the poly but no doubting his toughness.
The two times he has run on the poly have returned a close third in a Benchmark 89 over 1800m to the good young stayer Joyful Heart Man and a G3 distant third to Flying Fulton over 1900m.
Power Blitz is not a big horse but has a long stride and fights and gives as good as he gets over the closing stages like the raging bull Jake La Motta.
I think the topweight this evening of 59kg will be a heavyweight test for the middleweight brawler but class always shines through and he is unbeaten over the mile in Singapore.
My Friend Jo has won on the poly and impressively he scored under 58kg with ease over 1200m to defeat Brunei Royal and more significantly Ip Man into third.
However he has also won three times at a mile and for now trainer Shane Baertschiger the omens look good.
John Powell rides and he has been aboard ten times for three wins and as many placings, so gets the best out of this gelding that can sit poised before pouncing.
The other two poly starts for My Friend Jo outside his win did return fourth each time, so he is a must for your multiples.
Samurai Phoenix went super fresh up and is lethal second up with a couple of wins and a placing from four times in such a state.
He has only run on the poly once and finished second in the Causeway Classic Stakes over 1800m behind South Easter.
Superczar is well weighted in this for an already nine-race winner and three of them came on the poly, while the mile is ideal.
I think weight and form analysis bettors will be quick to highlight that three starts back in an open handicap over 1800m on the poly he finished fourth and was beaten less than a length.
The reason this is more than relevant is he was a neck behind Power Blitz and got 2kg from that warrior in the race, so imagine the wagering attraction in getting a whopping 6kg tonight.
Illuminado used to be a Shaw trained runner but last start at his first run for the Steve Burridge stable ran a good second albeit in Class Three and on the turf.
He has won on the poly and is a two-time mile winner, so is unlikely to be out of his depth here in a small field.
Five starts ago he finished fourth over a mile and while on turf the four-year-old was beaten less than half a length behind the winner Power Blitz.
He carried 1.5kg less then and this evening will have a staggering 7kg less, so the lightweights are lining up alright to try and knock out Power Blitz tonight.
By Law is the only other runner in the field and has won once on the poly, which came at 1700m.
After a full 4kg claim the four race winner will have a bantamweight but does he have the punching power to perform at this level?
I find it hard to see Nandowra beaten as he is clean winded and races best fresh or with a space between his starts.
Power Blitz a threat big weight and all, while the value will be found in Superczar and My Friend Jo.
Enjoy the feature fight.