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The Darrell Vienna-Red Baron’s Barn-David Flores triumvirate goes a long way in California, but the trio will be at their first bid to land a feature race on other shores with French import Si Sage.
The four-year-old entire is one of 12 runners entered in the $3million International Group 1 Singapore Airlines International Cup (2000m) and is also the first US galloper since Star Over The Bay to compete at our international meeting in nine years.
Si Sage, a three-time winner in France who is yet to claim any race in the US, is not the first runner to give either Vienna or Flores a taste of offshore racing action. While Flores has already won races at the Dubai World Cup meeting and in France, a Si Sage victory on Sunday would, however, give his 67-year-old conditioner his first international hurrah.
Vienna, a former rodeo rider who, interestingly enough, is a qualified lawyer and psychologist, has travelled several times to Hong Kong, Japan and Dubai, without any success as yet, but came the closest when Echo Eddie ran a head second to fellow American Caller One in the Group 1 Dubai Golden Shaheen (1200m) in 2002.
Sprinters seem to have become Vienna’s strongest suit in the 30-odd years he has been training, both on home soil and abroad. Vienna holds the distinction of having trained three former world record holders: Native Paster, who sped through six furlongs on the dirt in a time of 1:13 3/5 at Del Mar in September 1988; Classy Women, who registered a 5 1/2-furlong grass victory in a time of 1:01 at Hollywood Park in July, 1991; and Finder's Fortune, who won at 7 1/2 furlongs on the dirt in a time of 1:26 4/5 at Hollywood in April, 1993.
A sprinter named Nuclear Debate was also the first horse that probably sparked his appetite for overseas raids, when he ran unplaced in the Group 1 Hong Kong Sprint at his third successive attempt in 2001, having also failed for trainer John Hammond the previous two years.
But Vienna is changing tack this year in his bid to break his duck at his foreign assaults - a middle-distance performer in Si Sage, with the icing on the cake being an opportunity for Vienna to repay one of his most loyal clients, the Red Baron’s Barn. Besides, Vienna is no slouch with longer distance gallopers either, the ultimate proof being champion colt and 1992 Eclipse Award winner Gilded Time, his Breeders’ Cup Juvenile (1800m) winner in 1992.
A son of Sageburg, Si Sage’s three wins in France, the Prix Henry Foy in 2013, Prix Kendor and Prix des Herbages in 2012 have all been recorded over the mile, and his last race before flying to Singapore was a second place to Vagabond Shoes in the Grade 2 San Marcos Stakes (2000m) at Vienna’s home track, Santa Anita on February 8. These events may not be global benchmarks for mile-and-a-quarter races, but the Vienna camp is living in hope.
“Dad has been training for Si Sage’s owner for as long as I can remember,” said Vienna’s son Christopher who has been overseeing Si Sage’s preparation at Kranji since Thursday.
“We’ve enjoyed a lot of success together, and actually, David (Flores, Si Sage’s Kranji-based jockey) has also ridden many winners for them. He won two Grade 1 races on a good mare called Janet for them, the Yellow Ribbon Stakes and the Ramona Handicap.
“Suances was another good horse David rode for them. After he won the Group 1 Jean Prat in France, he won the San Francisco Breeders' Cup Mile Handicap, and was one of the favourites in the Secretariat Stakes undercard, the American Derby, but he hurt his ligament and was pulled out.
“Having had such a successful partnership, the owner wanted David to ride Si Sage, and as he was already here in Singapore, he was an obvious choice.”
With Si Sage regarded not as well-credentialled as some of his SIA Cup rivals like Military Attack, Side Glance or Smoking Sun, Vienna is happy to slip under the radar, confident he will not be disgraced in the Singapore showpiece.
“He (Si Sage) probably had a rushed preparation when we just got him from France. We had him for three weeks in training and he ran three times at Del Mar in five weeks,” said Vienna, who has worked with his father since 2011.
“We backed him off after that and he dead-heated for third with David in the Sir Beaufort Stakes. He was locked out, but persevered and ran a quarter-length off the winner (Gervinho).
“He was then beaten by a very good horse called Vagabond Shoes. Again he was boxed in and was in the last two the whole way.
“It’s hard to say what is his favourite going, but being from France, he wouldn’t like it too firm. Back home, he seemed to prefer the Del Mar synthetic track, but ran better on the dirt at Santa Anita, so it’s hard to tell.
“But I’m very happy with the way he’s settled in here at Kranji and his work has been good. An official came to our barn to invite us to Singapore and as it’s a country the owners always wanted to have a runner in, we accepted the invitation and here we are.”
