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Jumbo Jet Trophy winner Preditor is heading into Sunday’s $200,000 Group 3 Moonbeam Vase (1600m) right on song, but trainer Shane Baertschiger said not to expect the same grandstand finish from the back of the field this time.
In the Group 3 Jumbo Jet Trophy (1400m) three weeks back, the Savabeel entire came from near-last under top Hong Kong apprentice jockey Matthew Poon to win a thrilling four-way photo, outbobbing former Singapore champion Debt Collector no less.
Those parameters won’t be replicated in the Moonbeam Vase, but Baertschiger is confident the horse he also owns can take the different dynamics in his stride.
While the mile is a more suitable distance, the handicap has been readjusted with the special conditions of the Moonbeam Vase, and he will also jump from a better gate, contrary to his last three starts where he drew the carpark and had to be snagged back.
It was only in the Jumbo Jet Trophy that the get-back strategy paid off. In the Invitational Group 1 Kranji Mile, he was left with too much to do even if he ran the fastest sectionals late, and at the next outing in a Kranji Stakes A race (1400m), he pulled some ground off the leaders late, but Majestic Moments was too good on the day.
“He’s finally drawn an inside barrier – three. He will run closer to the pace this time,” said Baertschiger.
“It’s only because of the bad draws that he had to get back at his previous runs. To me, he’s better off racing in a handier spot when he draws well.
“I’m not concerned about the handicap either, as it’s more like a weight-for-age race except for some lower-rated horses he has to give some weight to, not much.
“He’s run in weight-for-age races and did very well, which shows he can measure up with the best here. In the Derby last year, he finished fifth to Infantry and in the Chairman’s Trophy this year, he ran a close fourth to Circuit Land.”
As much as the public would have loved to see “The Poon Train” back on Preditor (Poon actually boasts a 100% record on him as he scored one-from-one on him last year as well), especially after that memorable last-gasp win in the Jumbo Jet Trophy, the Hong Kong rider will be busy riding at the season opener at Sha Tin on the same day.
Baertschiger for one knows Preditor will still benefit from an able pair of hands in his No 1 stable jockey John Powell, who after all was aboard at his other three Kranji wins.
“JP couldn’t ride him in the Jumbo Jet at that weight (53kgs). Matty (Poon) rode him and gave him a great ride,” said Baertschiger.
“He has 57kgs this time, and JP is back on, of course. He knows him the best as he has won on him at three of his five wins.”
Baertschiger has booked his No 2 stable jockey Matthew Kellady on his second runner, Blue Swede. The eight-year-old veteran by O’Reilly carries 55.5kgs, but his handler would rather not set his hopes too high on the unpredictable galloper who hasn’t found the line since July 2017, when he brought up the last of his eight wins.
“Blue Swede is in good shape. He also galloped well yesterday, but he’s finding it tougher now that he’s getting on,” said Baertschiger of the horse he also owns 100% as well.
“I’d be happy if he runs in the first four. He’s going for the El Dorado Classic next.”
The Group 3 El Dorado Classic (2000m) will be run in three weeks’ time on Raffles Cup meeting day on September 23.
Eventually, he’s hoping that pathway will lead to the Group 1 Dester Singapore Gold Cup (2000m) on November 11, even if the El Dorado Classic is not a stepping stone to that race any more now it is run seven weeks before instead of three weeks in the past.
Baertschiger is also aiming Preditor at the Gold Cup, but through a different route. He would also like to test him over the first two Legs of the Singapore Triple Crown series of which the Gold Cup is the third and final Leg.
“After the Moonbeam, Preditor will be going for the Raffles Cup in three weeks’ time,” he said.
“Obviously, the QEII Cup (the Group 1 Queen Elizabeth II Cup over 1800m on October 21) would be the next race, but let’s take it one step at a time.”
At Kranji, Preditor has ventured beyond 1800m twice, once over 2000m (in last year’s Singapore Derby) and once over 2200m, without winning.
But he does boast one win over 1818m in New Zealand in 2016 when known as Predator and prepared by Baertschiger’s good friends Trent Busuttin and Natalie Young. That same year, he was beaten in the Group 1 Avondale Guineas (2100m) and the Group 1 New Zealand Derby (2400m), but he did not finish that far off the winner Rangipo on both occasions.
