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Trainer Michael Clements hopes powerful finisher Keltic Karma’s winning streak keeps gathering steam this Friday.
In two starts, the Sir Percy five-year-old has produced barnstorming runs that have caught the eye of even the most hard-to-please racegoers.
Granted, they may not be in the Pakistan Star (Hong Kong social media sensation known for his wins from near-impossible positions) league, but the last one was still a cliffhanger when he flew home from last to first to land a Novice race over 1400m, sneaking up on the rails for his winning burst under Vlad Duric’s persuader.
But perhaps the most laudable aspect about those two victories was that they came after he was away from both the track and Singapore for 18 months all-up.
“He had some issues after his last race and went up to Malaysia but he got stranded there with nine other horses of mine for even longer after the EI (Equine Influenza) and Strangels outbreak,” recalled Clements.
“Maybe it was a blessing in disguise because he’s come back and won two from two!
“But really, not being able to work for so long is not ideal and it’s pretty remarkable that he’s come back in such brilliant form.”
Clements will line him up in Friday’s last race, the $60,000 Class 4 race over 1400m, and remained confident the horse owned by more or less the same connections as his former champion mare Kiwi Karma and another galloper, Keepit Karma, can keep the ball rolling even if things look more challenging this time.
“It’s been five weeks since his last win. Evidently, his runs are well spaced out and he seems to thrive on that,” he said.
“He will carry a bit of weight (58.5kgs) in a Class 4 race this time, but I think he can handle the weight.
“From the way he wins, I think he’s also looking for more ground. He’s drawn well and Vlad gets along very well with him.”
Clements took this opportunity to break some good news regarding his much better-known former stablemate Kiwi Karma, who recently retired the winner of eight races and close to one million dollars in prizemoney to head for new role as a mum, which he seems to have got off to a dream start.
“Kiwi Karma is in foal. She was covered by a first season sire called Press Statement,” said Clements.
“They’ve done an amazing job to get her pregnant only a few weeks out of quarantine. Obviously, they had to put her under lights to get her cycling.
“She was sold to a breeder but the original owners (DSands Racing Stable) have kept a small share in her. It’s all very exciting for them to hear that Kiwi Karma will become a mum very soon!”
Now five years of age, the chestnut daughter of Fast 'N' Famous only flew out to Australia in August, heading to Attunga Stud on the Hunter Valley, the cradle of Australia’s horse breeding industry.
Previously raced by the China Horse Club, Press Statement (x Hinchinbrook) is a former Chris Waller-trained Australian Group 1-winning colt who was also retired this year to serve his first book at Vinery Stud this new season.
