3 minute read
Bettors at Kranji cannot wait for Sunday and Joao Moreira to return to riding after a suspension, as he is the only currency they trust to keep doubling up or let it ride.
In the meantime they have the meeting tonight on the polytrack to negotiate and a cracking fields of flyers has been assembled in R8, the S$125K Open 1100m.
There is an intriguing mix of known burners and serious attackers plus some newcomers either to Singapore or the calibre of sprinting class they meet tonight.
Some bullet-like beginners such as the up and coming Yin Xin from gate three and Coup Align from barrier nine should ensure a torrid opening 200m.
There are slick starters too in My Son (drawn 10) and Perfect Pins (drawn 5) plus the enforcer Dictator (drawn 4).
The one man smiling after the barrier draw was Theo Kieser, as he has the favourite and fastest beginner in Yin Xin from gate three and the always-underrated Kaiser from the inside stall.
He will fancy the Kieser quinella for sure.
It is hard not to be impressed with the rapid rise of Yin Xin with the four-year-old yet to miss paying a dividend and having won five and placed four times.
His last start third at G3 under WFA in the Merlion Trophy behind the proven big time performers Better Than Ever and Ato is outstanding form considering he carried the same impost of 57.5kg as them.
He led and beat home some big names comfortably in that March feature event and Danny Beasley is the lucky rider to pick up the mount tonight, with K B Soo sticking with the stablemate Kaiser.
Yin Xin drops in class greatly and 4.5kg so gets the best of both betting worlds big time here.
I liked his trial win earlier this month too and he beat Foxtrot Hotel, which has since come out and won uber-impressively last week and has a future at Kranji.
Kaiser with a reasonable jump from the ace should get the wonder slipstream trail behind his stablemate and while it cops a throttling K B Soo will be grinning from ear to ear.
He will have his now famous goggle toss into the crowd after the race worked out but first he will need to run down Yin Xin.
The three-year-old had a gutbuster last start in the G3 Singapore Sprint (1200m) on turf for his age group, so forget the run.
I thought he did well to be beaten just over five lengths by undefeated in Singapore gun Super Easy, which had a dream sit behind the trio of attackers up front.
Kaiser has never missed paying a dividend on the poly with three wins and four placings plus he can ping early on the all weather and over the closing stages too.
Some other key stables have dual representation in the feature sprint such as Mark Walker, Pat Shaw and Michael Freedman.
Walker has a massive say in the tempo of this race and the finish for mine, with the burner Coup Align and the swamper Finders Keepers, so he has any race pattern bias covered.
Coup Align fresh up was a solid third under 57kg behind Mr Big, which has flanked the form since by scoring easily in the G3 Kranji Sprint over Ato and Masthead.
I like the fact he has Opie Bosson on tonight as he really is a senior rider sprinter with such power and poly is his preferred drag racing strip.
The runner up in the Kranji Sprint with 5.5kg less and finishing over four lengths ahead at the line was the stablemate Finders Keepers, which was sent forward wider with cover earlier than usual.
Tonight after a claim he could conceivably have 9kg less than Coup Align and must be dangerous in a solid run race, which is almost a given at this level.
Finders Keepers has a win and four placings on the poly and the tall sprinter drawn gate eleven is not affected early being a settle back sort regardless.
Pat Shaw has one of the early burners drawn out in My Son and a newcomer to his yard from Australia in Éclair Mystic.
My Son loves the poly being an already six-time winner on it and Barend Vorster stays with it importantly this evening so expect some fireworks to get across.
Éclair Mystic has trialled okay twice recently (Vorster rode each time poignantly) and tonight the 2kg claiming apprentice Shafiq will ride from gate eight.
The already G2 and G3 placed plus Listed winner has won six races and is a natural on pacer plus does have a fresh up win in his resume.
The 1100m could be a tad short for him here and Vorster would have ridden if the sprinter was spot on for a first up in Singapore kill plus please note he will wear blinkers.
Michael Freedman has two almost spoilers in the race, with Dictator and Mr Timely both capable of surprising and sure to be either launching or looking for a clear shot at them over the closing stages.
Dictator I felt was more like his self last start with a fifth albeit beaten eight lengths under 53kg.
He is a six-time poly winner and has a group of owners that make more noise than a brass band and none of them play any instruments!
They love their horse and racing so the raucous behaviour in the run home if their pride and joy is a chance to be in the finish is a breath of fresh hearing!
Mr Timely did not ping last start on the turf at G3 but leave him out here back to the poly, where he has scored three times, at your punting peril.
Stephen Baster, who is cleaning up of late in Singapore and has become the formline-fixer at Kranji, as he can get them to win again ala Moreira-like.
Take note before the last start run of Mr Timely he had won a trial well over the since unbeaten Excel N Strike and was ridden by Baster.
I respect the unbeaten on poly powerhouse Perfect Pins and with Jose Verenzuela aboard you have a perfect pairing but it will take some effort under 59kg, as the most he has won under is 57.5kg.
Fast Break if they go berserk can surge though and surprise as he is a poly performer and drops 8.5kg tonight from last start albeit meeting bigger motors.
He has gate two and is the meat in the sandwich of the Kieser pair at the jump but it could turn out to be a beefy-blessing rather than salad-dressing in surprise.
Beau Brummell I felt went okay fresh up and he has won before second up plus several seasons ago he could beat this class of field no problems.
He drops 3kg here but has copped the outside stall.
That just leaves the speedy Éclair Flyer, which won well fresh up on the poly and was not disgraced at all last start on the turf at G3.
It is hard to see past the Kieser pair with Yin Xin looking a deadest weight drop special and never forget the stablemate has upset the apple cart before.
Mr Timely is your value chance at 50.5kg (half a kilo above the minimum) when you consider two starts ago on poly he finished fourth to Rocket Man (yes that same local superstar) at 52kg.
Enjoy the feature sprint and Joao will be back on deck this Sunday ready to ride a bagful of winners, so you can exhale now and relax.