3 minute read
Davide is the name most likely to be on the scoring sheet for the feature tonight at Kranji for owner Fred Crabbia (Rocket Man man) and the Pat Shaw stable.
The four-year-old gelding is very well situated in Race Eight on the card, a S$75K Benchmark 74 over 1400m on the turf, with the 2kg claim by Rizuan Shafiq crucial in bringing the topweight down to 56.5kg.
Davide has yet to win at 1400m, which some will see as a query after six attempts at the trip for three placings, but against this field I certainly do not.
His three placings have been seconds and behind the likes of the smart Nandowra (both had 58kg), Peaceful Warrior (he gave that importantly 3.5kg and the same rival again here is just half a kilo better off) and Black Ice (next start was fifth at G1 to Rocket Man and after that third to The Comedian in Class One).
Twice has seen Davide finish fourth at 1400m behind Red Beard and more significantly in a Benchmark 97 to Mr Raffles.
The only miss at 1400m by Davide came last start when eighth in a hot field from a wide draw won by the gifted Speedy Cat.
He was used up to sit close to the pace after an average start and was then wide for the second half of the event.
No surprise he was struggling turning for home with notably the other two on pacers stopping to finish behind him.
Shafiq has ridden Davide once before and finished a distant second but the winner was IP Man, so they ran into a rather good sort last November.
The consistency of Davide will attract the exotic bettors with his dozen starts so far reaping four wins and four seconds plus two fourths, a fifth and an eight.
I have him as superior here if given every chance in the running and the claim seals the deal for mine.
Team Shaw have two other runners in the race with first choice rider Barend Vorster, still buzzing after a G1 success for the stable aboard Ato in the Krisflyer twelve days ago, going with the mare Always Happy.
She is underrated and as a four-time turf and distance winner cannot be risked as she will be put in the race from the outset but does look weighted to the maximum here at 55kg.
The double-digit barriers for the Shaw trio (gates eleven, twelve and thirteen) and being alongside each other must be the same odds to happen as winning lotto!
Vorster is unlikely to have been considered for Davide because I suspect Team Shaw wanted some weight relief for the four-year-old hence the Shafiq claim.
Grey Cheyne, who rode Always Happy last start to victory, will pilot Ravoux for the Stephen Gray stable here and has been aboard that runner before but it is rising in class tonight.
Funca is fresh up for Team Shaw and the gelding has trialled a staggering six times just this year alone.
Shaw is a perfectionist with his stable and the way the team is turned out and regularly win best presented awards means they all care about image and are thoroughbred professionals.
Funca in six starts since coming to Singapore has yet to run a place but he ran into some fair fields and sorts, with the fresh up and second up efforts particularly relevant.
He rumbled with Dr Grigoros (carried 54kg) under 57kg resuming to the turn and boxed on uber-bravely for sixth plus The Comedian finished second to show the field strength.
His next start he finished fourth behind Arowana Dot Com, when carrying 56kg in a Benchmark 83.
A wide draw this evening is a problem but he will be paying overs and is a name to remember, as Team Shaw have put in a lot of time and effort into him this year considering he is yet to line up.
Jose Verenzuela will ride and his words after the race will be important to the stable with such a wealth of experience able to reflect what gear addition may be needed for example next time.
He can also fly them from the gates although is a polytrack master, so maybe that is the next surface Funca will be running on after tonight.
I mentioned earlier the three names that Davide finished second behind over 1400m and one of them was Peaceful Warrior, which is a chance tonight having drawn well and down to 56kg after a claim.
All his wins have come on the turf and he is a three-time winner at 1400m plus that victory over Davide saw him carry 3.5kg less and win by a length and three quarters.
Tonight we find Davide will have just half a kilo more than Peaceful Warrior and neither runner has won a race since so advantage to the Shaw runner.
Last start Peaceful Warrior at the same weight as Davide ran on into sixth behind Speedy Cat and was two and a half lengths ahead at the line.
He never spent a penny in the midfield to the home turn and like most of the field ran on past the stopping trio up front, so I see the Davide effort as actually much more worthy in the race pattern context.
Bruce Marsh has two runners in Wonder and Glownight Racer and the latter is a chance but needs a scratching being the first emergency.
If he gets in then put him in as the turf and 1400m is and ideal combination for the son of Pins.
He was good enough to finish second to Speedy Cat (over 1200m) on turf in Class Three under 54.5kg in February.
Wonder is in the field already and bettors like certainty when assessing a race, so with this natural backmarker you know what you will get and if the expected tempo will help or hinder him.
Last start he ran on well very late and was settled down too far away by an apprentice.
He has boomed home several times this campaign and almost always for apprentices but did finish a cracking fourth for senior rider Opie Bosson behind Peaceful Warrior and Davide in March.
The now six-year-old had 2.5kg more than Peaceful Warrior and 1kg less than Davide, so this evening with an in form senior rider in Ivaldo Santana atop, I like the weight swing against the former.
He will have just half a kilo more than Peaceful Warrior or a 2kg gain and versus Davide they will carry the same or a 1kg loss for him but that is why it is the top pick.
Great Light has come back strong this preparation and hard to leave him out at 54kg drawn well with the very much in form Stephen Baster atop.
He has not won at 1400m or on the turf yet so there is still a beam or two to cross but the names he has beaten or placed behind of late all make appealing analysis.
A good betting race and a plethora of chances and turf performers plus up and comers but Davide does not just tick all the form boxes he in fact is set to score from the penalty box.
Peaceful Warrior a main threat and I do like Wonder to boom home from the back and get into the finish to add some oomph to the multiples.
Enjoy the feature match.