3 minute read
The barrier draws of several major chances in the feature event on the card at Kranji tonight are look away stuff in the main but have faith in their ability to overcome.
Race Eight is a Kranji Stakes C for S$75K over 1100m on what is an all poly track racenight and the only meeting this weekend at Kranji.
There are several rare occurrences this evening and the amount of apprentice riders in some races on the card is quite extraordinary so bettors will be troubled even attempting speed maps!
Awkward or bad barriers in the feature event seem to have beset many of the chances so the first 400m of the 1100m spring will be important.
We could see some wide lanes in use but at least on the poly that is possible because the all weather allows such overland outings.
Alan Munro a week after stopping the Super Easy unbeaten Kranji run aboard the impressive Better Life has picked up the mount on the Leticia Dragon trained Primera Espada.
The already five-race winner (all on poly) even from gate eleven can win and easily too
Primera Espada last won in September last year in a Class Three over 1000m under 56.5kg so is well overdue a sixth success.
He is clearly good enough to defeat the line up tonight at 56.5kg.
Bahen resumes from a middle gate and has trialled twice in preparation so you need to include the Shane Baertschiger trained gelding.
John Powell has ridden the sprinter in each Singapore start and every trial bar one too.
The son of Tale Of The Cat on poly is three starts for two wins and a fourth, with the unplaced effort a good performance in a Kranji Stakes C under 56.5kg after an average start.
You can forgive the horse his last start failure on turf at G2 in the Steward’s Cup from gate sixteen plus he copped a starting stall penalty (since cleared).
Bahen won his first two Singapore starts in opposing style with victory despite a tardy jump fresh up and then sitting handy the next time.
He has won fresh up in Australia too so does deliver in resumption mode and gate seven is probably a suitable barrier as it gives Powell options after the initial dash for position.
Makkura is a poly performer and can burn early and maintain a strong clip but the mare has two negatives for tonight in that she has drawn the outside gate and has 58kg to carry.
The mare can still deliver and Greg Cheyne has ridden her every start and knows the speedster inside out now.
He won on her two starts ago under 58.5kg in a Benchmark 74 but it came against her own sex though it was a very brave albeit narrow victory.
Last start she ran on turf for the first time in Singapore and her seventh behind King Empire was not that bad plus the winner has scored again since to bolster the race form worth.
I think the 1400m was too far as well last start so back to 1100m tonight is ideal and her trial win earlier this month was clear cut.
Bazinga since a name change has looked a different horse and when they go hard up front and he can launch one burst from the back then this is his striking zone.
A wide draw will not affect him due to his racing pattern and with a 4kg claim look for him to come home over the top.
All his wins have come on the poly and last start at 1000m he found the line like a rejuvenated sprinter.
A couple of well drawn chances would be the claiming pair of Chateauneuf Dupape and Viva Panata.
The 3kg relief for Chateauneuf Dupape will help this speedy four-year-old that has only won on the poly since coming to Singapore.
His last start third was good from the perspective that it showed he had recovered from a heart condition, when failing badly the start before.
Viva Panata does best the harder and wider run he gets it seems and just when you think he is gone the six-race winner with four coming on the poly gets a second and sometimes third wind.
A full 4kg claim and gate five tonight make this rock hard fit sprinter a trifecta must include.
He may not have won a race since March of 2011 but he has rumbled bravely in some stronger fields since.
Apart from twelve placings he has finished fourth as well four times so needs to be included in your first-four combinations too.
In a wide open sprint race of quite possibly many runners off the track throughout and the heat being applied a given, it could be a case of where do you look for the winner.
Primera Espada can outkick these while Bahen will surge into the reckoning as many others are feeling the strain.
Viva Panata from the Desmond Koh stable can break a long run without a win here and give the apprentice aboard his first success in Singapore.
Enjoy the feature event.
