3 minute read
The last three years at Kranji has seen bettors treated to Triple Crown success each time culminating in the G1 Singapore Guineas so letting it ride dollar wise is yet to fail
It started in 2010 with Better Than Ever then went to Gingerbread Man in 2011 before Super Easy completed the sweep too last year.
Tonight in the S$500K Singapore Guineas over a mile on the short course C turf track we see Stepitup try to become the fourth Triple Crown collector in a row.
He is not very big but has a sparkling turn of foot that has won him races before and it could do so this evening too with the lesser length run home a key race analysis point.
Stepitup has the will to win and to be fair he should be a perfect seven wins from seven starts leading into Race Seven tonight but for a huge second at his fourth start when asked the world of in the running.
I like the fact he can be ridden to suit the race pace and whatever draw he has because race plans go out the window sometimes when rival riders do strange and unexpected things in big races.
Ivaldo Santana knows this Sunny Yeoh prepared pocket rocket so well now he is laying down the gauntlet to the opposition earlier in the run home than normal.
The reason is he knows his mount when getting a buffer with 200m to go means it is near impossible to run him down and nothing has yet under such circumstances.
The last start win in the G2 Singapore Classic (1400m) was proof perfect as the sublime spurt from the 400m to the 200m won the race for certain.
While he gained a gap the biggest danger, and the same applies tonight in Super Ninetyseven, was getting held up ironically by a stablemate.
Super Ninetyseven stomped home and pulled back many lengths on Stepitup the closing stages to go down three quarters of a length and in all honesty was a certainty beaten.
The draw of five for Stepitup is ideal as Santana has options early and will look to wait as long as possible tonight before going for Triple Crown glory since it is a first try at the mile.
History says Stepitup will step up to the plate and hit it out of the park tonight.
Super Ninetyseven from gate two can spoil the Triple Crown party and he may in fact with Joao Moreira atop go out favourite over Stepitup.
He has won at a mile and did so easily last November so will be strong at the finish plus being out of a Zabeel dam his target next year is likely to be the Derby.
Two key facts came out of that mile win in he raced handy but still produced a prodigious surge albeit green and also the track was slow so swimming is not out of his repertoire either.
Moreira loves winning the last race to send bettors home happy and loves winning the first race to get them fully armed for the day or night.
However he is on a G1 warparth and has been since last season with startling results.
He knows Super Ninetyseven was a moral beaten last start and wants to right the wrong, so what better stage than the G1 Singapore Guineas.
There is a symmetry about the Guineas this year in that the first three names in the field all start with the letter S (Stepitup, Super Ninetyseven and Super Shadow) and amazingly each is to be ridden by a Brazilian jockey.
The odds seem even more staggering when you consider there are only three Brazilian riders in Singapore at the moment of Moreira, Santana and Manoel Nunes.
Do not undersell the task for Nunes atop Super Shadow from gate three as he can force the pace or set it and ensure the race is run strongly.
Super Shadow has placed at a mile before and is owned by Joy N Happiness, the same group that race Super Ninetyseven and won the Triple Crown last year with Super Easy.
They have a monster weekend ahead with Super Easy the big local hope in the G1 Krisflyer on Sunday.
Joy N Happiness may have two G1 trophies on the mantlepiece come Sunday evening and they would be grinning for the rest of the season at least should that eventuate.
I am seeing a clear cut inside barriers rule tonight in the Guineas this year as too many of the big players have good gates, as long as the weather behaves.
Zac Spirit from the ace for Cliff Brown is a threat as he will jump and run early.
Brown has a very nice horse on his hands here and the last start third when pressured in front makes for good reading and viewing when you consider Stepitup and Super Ninetyseven came from well back.
He was doing all the work up front and in a1:22.30 run 1400m his on pace effort was unheralded for sure.
John Powell back atop is a plus as he knows the son of Flying Spur best having won and placed on him prior plus been on in every barrier trial.
Super Ninetyseven can with his proven mile ability from a good gate deny Stepitup the Triple Crown.
I like the fact he does not have to be ridden cold and of course should some rain arrive it does not dampen his prospects as they in fact soar.
Stepitup has the weight of history on his side and I do see the shorter run home as helping him and that potent ping he possesses.
Zac Spirit is the only other chance for mine and the two favourites will not want to forget about him and only have eyes for each other in the running and turning for home.
Enjoy yet another wonderful Singapore Guineas.
