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Trainer David Hill said the colder riding tactics suited Gold Faith after the Irish-bred grey stayer finally opened his account at his eighth run on Sunday.
The son of Dark Angel came to Singapore with a bit of hype stemming mainly from the name printed in his ownership documents. He is raced by Hong Kong tycoon Pan Sutong, better known for having raced past champions like Akeed Mofeed and the late Gold-Fun, both prepared by Richard Gibson, and who now stands Akeed Mofeed at the famous Lindsay Park which he recently bought and renamed Goldin Farms.
Gold Faith, had, however, not quite shown a shred of the same ability as those two in his seven Kranji starts, even if he was the winner of two races (1400m and 2400m) in UK before being flown over.
Hill said it was just a case of not hitting the right spot through trial and error.
But from the way the $33 chance came from last with a barnstorming run under first-time partner Vlad Duric to leave his seven rivals rooted to the spot in the $38,000 Kranji Stakes D Division 1 race over 1600m, there are no prizes for guessing which way the English trainer will go from now on.
“We’ve been messing too much with him. One day, he is up on the pace, then they ride him dead,” said Hill.
“That’s the way to ride him - very quiet and just let him go out with one run.
“He had a senior jockey riding him today and that makes a world of difference, too. Vlad said he pulled a bit and that’s why he had to get him back underneath him; you really appreciate such feedback.
“He is bred to stay, but I will probably keep him to such trips before stepping him up.”
Duric said Gold Faith switched off beautifully under him before turning right back on with a sizzling acceleration the moment he was set alight on the outside.
“They went slow early and he was pulling,” said the leading Australian jockey in the famous yellow and red spots silks worn to multiple Group 1 wins by Akeed Mofeed and Gold-Fun.
“As the tempo picked up, I just let him stride along and it all fell into my hands in the end.”
