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Singapore champion trainer Lee Freedman is launching a three-pronged attack with Blizzard, Mr Clint and Affleck in the $200,000 Group 3 Fortune Bowl (1400m) on February 6.
The former two came out in barrier trial No 5 on Tuesday, looking in fine fettle. Affleck just ran last Friday, finishing unplaced to Be Bee.
Freedman, who has yet to saddle a winner – six placings in 26 runners - in the new season, was pleased with his duo’s output even if it’s harder to get a line on Mr Clint given that he is not the flashiest worker around.
A Hong Kong Group 3 winner (Chinese Club Challenge Cup over 1400m) and seven-time winner (1200m to 1400m), Blizzard has not quite taken off in two local starts (both on Polytrack), but was particularly eye-catching under Daniel Moor when running on in Tuesday’s barrier trial for a 1 ¼-length second to Countofmontecristo, a likely rival in the Fortune Bowl. Mr Clint (Ben Thompson) ran fifth around seven lengths astern.
“Blizzard has done okay so far. He was screaming for more ground at his last start in the New Year Cup (closing fourth to Constant Justice in the Group 3 1200m event),” said Freedman.
“He was not completely at home on the Polytrack. The Fortune Bowl is more his race.
“He needed a couple of runs to come on as he’s a fairly gross type of horse. His fitness is pretty good now.
“He should run good although Countofmontecristo was pretty impressive in that trial today.”
Moor was in the same buoyant mood about Blizzard after he jumped off the Starcraft seven-year-old.
“Don’t worry about his first couple of starts. He hates the Polytrack,” said the Australian jockey. “He grows a leg on turf.”
Freedman used a reassurance tone when talking about Mr Clint’s plain run in Tuesday’s hit-out. Thompson will partner the Power four-year-old in the traditional Chinese New Year race.
“Mr Clint is fine. He doesn’t quite put in when he doesn’t have blinkers on. He’s a pretty lazy horse,” said Freedman.
“I think he’s more of a 1600m-2000m horse now. He was placed (third) in the Gold Cup (2000m) last year, he’s good at 1600m on turf.
“He’ll make some improvement in the Fortune Bowl and will then head for the Chairman’s Trophy.”
To be run on March 3 this year, the Group 2 Chairman’s Trophy (1600m) was the first ‘black type’ race won by Freedman in Singapore last year. Former Hong Kong galloper Circuit Land came through with Macau-based Brazilian jockey Ruan Maia up to narrowly defeat 2017 Singapore Horse of the Year Infantry.
As for Affleck, who will have two-time Singapore champion jockey Vlad Duric astride, Freedman said his win in the Singapore Guineas in 2015 still anchors him down now in such “conditions” races like the Fortune Bowl, specifically the 58kg impost slapped on Group 1 winners.
Now seven, the son of Battle Paint ran seventh to Be Bee in the Class 1 race over 1200m last Friday at his first-up run since his narrow all-the-way win in a Kranji Stakes B race over 1400m in November.
“Affleck is not well in at the weights because of the fact he is a Group 1 winner and will be given 58kgs,” said Freedman.
“It makes it hard for him. He’ll probably have two more runs, including one in the Fortune Bowl, and that might be it for him.”
