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Champion trainer Mark Walker will attempt to win a second Korea Racing Authority Trophy in a row, this time with honest sprinter Viviano on Sunday.
Last year, the Kiwi mentor added his name to the roll of honour of the annual reciprocal race between the Singapore Turf Club and the KRA when Distinctive Darci won the third renewal from Laser Storm. Viviano actually ran as well, but even though he was well supported at $24, he could only run eighth.
With the son of Darci Brahma now at 111 points courtesy of three more wins including a Group 2 win in the Merlion Trophy (1200m) last April, Walker could not run him again even when the benchmark of the race was this year cranked up from 90 to 95 points.
But on 94 points, Viviano was still eligible, though Walker would have preferred the KRA Trophy was run on turf instead - something which will remain wishful thinking for a while given that Korean races are all staged on sand.
The Keeper six-year-old’s last unimpressive 10th in a Kranji Stakes A race (1400m) could have been another cause for concern, too, but Walker was not as fazed by that result.
“He jarred up badly on the firm track at his last run. He pulled up very lame,” he said.
“But it was only a short-term issue as the vet cleared him after they scanned him. Don’t forget he’s an older horse now and that track was not to his liking.”
Walker reported that the Raffles Racing Stable-owned stalwart and handy winner of eight from 33 starts and more than half-a-million dollars in prizemoney has come back in good nick after the enforced freshen-up, and certainly deserved to have a crack at Sunday’s feature.
“There wasn’t much we could do other than just freshen him up. He has come back to his normal self,” he said.
“Obviously, it won’t be an easy race as there are a couple of younger horses who seem to have his measure. But how often do horses of his age get a chance at a $250,000 race?
“He gets into the race rating nicely and is well-in at the weights, even if his last form has been better on turf than Polytrack.
“I’m not worried about his draw (10) as, based on his pattern, he is a horse who gets back. I hope he can give Dato Yap (Kin San of Raffles Racing) and myself something to cheer about.”
Walker has booked in-form jockey Ryan Curatolo on the New Zealand-bred. The Frenchman, who counts one second on Viviano (in a Kranji Stakes A race over 1400m on April 20) has started to gel nicely with the Walker yard this year, with five of his current haul of 29 winners ridden for the two-time Singapore champion trainer – Lim’s Regard, Lim’s Knight, Dazzling Speed, Sacred Galaxy (also owned by Raffles Racing) and $122 outsider Turquoise King last Friday.
“We’ve had a bit of luck with young Ryan lately. He’s riding in great form,” said Walker whose other go-to jockeys are usually champion jockey Vlad Duric and Craig Grylls.
“The horse let us down last start but he had excuses. Let’s hope he can bounce back on Sunday.”
While that dismal run was attributed to the hard underfoot conditions, Viviano, like the other local hopes, will be taking on three unknown quantities in the 12-horse line-up – the Busan-based trio of Gakbyeolhan, Today and Approach.
“I don’t know much about the Korean horses. I can only hope he goes better on the Polytrack this time,” he said.
“With that kind of money, it was worth having a crack.”