3 minute read

The feature sprint this evening at Kranji sees just six now lining up in the dash for cash after a couple of vet withdrawals and the turf record in Singapore of several is a concern.

The stables of Theo Kieser and Michael Freedman have two runners each left in the field now and still utterly dominate the race in terms of pace and form.

There is early speed galore in the field and more leaders than you would find at a UN assembly discussing finger food but this inability to solve the strathayr issue is the over-arching concern!

The eighth race (on a card of eleven races which is a rarity on a Friday evening at Kranji) is the S$125K Kranji Stakes A over 1200m and will be run on the C turf course.

Four of the six left tonight are natural leaders and just the two in the field will not be involved in the early burn namely Better Be The One and Merchant.

The rest like to just run for fun and do not like taking a trail so we could be in for something special the opening 200m tonight.

Two of the field have never won on the turf of Kranji namely the unbeaten in Singapore rising star Texan Takeover plus the gifted Yin Xin.

Texan Takeover will be having his first turf run at Kranji having won all his races on the poly since arriving.

I should also note here Yin Xin has placed twice in four turf starts at Kranji and one came at G3 when four lengths behind Super Easy, so this speedster does handle strathayr but is not quite the same force.

Goal Keeper, which goes fast early then faster across the top before accelerating even more the run home, has raced six times on turf for one win and three placings.

He is unbeaten on the poly (six from six) but when it comes to the turf he has one win (in ClassThree) plus three placings and two fifths.

His net has been breached often on the grass and rivals will be shooting from all angles tonight to score against him.

The two accidental outcast stable runners are the Cliff Brown trained Merchant and the Leslie Khoo prepared Won’t Stop.

Merchant loves the turf and will be a sharp improver on his fresh up eighth, when he loomed likely for an instant the run home only to weaken late.

I like that Stephen Baster will ride this evening and the winkers go on plus a tongue-tie, as it shows Brown is as thoughtful and methodical as ever.

Second up sees Merchant a dual winner and Baster has been aboard once for a fifth that three starts ago over 1400m was a good close up effort.

The winner of the race was that little fella Flax that is now a G1 colossus and Baster may have pushed the button on Merchant a tad premature bursting through the inside 300m out.

He was beaten a length and three quarters and at 1200m is a better horse so from gate four tonight I see improvement for both horse and rider.

In a race that could be a gass-a-thon from the outset anything sitting quietly waiting for one last surge at them will be lethal the closing stages.

Merchant can be delivered the race on a plate and Baster will have to count to ten the run home before detonating and perhaps count to ten again to make the swamp as late as possible.

The gelding won a poly track trial last week to satisfy Brown and it was in a slow time but he put away some fair sorts and looked a vastly tighter sprinter.

Won’t Stop has won twice on the turf but is a poly performer through and through, with one of the turf wins coming in Malaysia at Penang and the other at Kranji in a Benchmark 97 (beat Cash Luck so that is meaningful).

It is fair to say since tackling Group racing the form of Won’t Stop has ceased and maybe back to this Kranji Stakes A this evening and drawn the ace with 52kg to carry after a claim will help.

Kieser and Freedman have their in-form major weapons tonight in Goal Keeper and Texan Takeover respectively, so the fact they have drawn the two outside barriers makes this feature even more intriguing.

Riders may weigh out and be issued with burn cream in advance as unless some tactics are changed the early rush will see blister-inducing speed.

Freedman will be wondering if luck has deserted him as before scratchings his three runners in an initial field a field of eight drew gates five, six and eight (almost the worst possible outcome).

Kieser before scratchings with draws two, three and seven will be the far more content trainer and he has more early pace to call on as all his runners can come out smoking.

The other Freedman runner in Better Be The One will be ridden cold and he has won twice before in a third up state and with a 2kg claim it is now or never for this sprinter at 57.5kg to rediscover some form.

It would be welcome if the big horse found something akin to his best tonight as in July and August last year in this class under 59.5kg he placed each time to Rocket Man and Northern Lion (fast time).

The two form chances are Goal Keeper and Texan Takeover, with the former going for five wins in a row and the latter four wins in a row.

They have earned respect and deserve it but I do see Merchant as the each way vendor-value to spoil the party.

Last chance for Better Be The One, as he will not find a more suitable event than tonight to say out loud and proud that I still got it and thanks for coming to the opposition.

Enjoy the searing Singapore sprint.