3 minute read
The double header of racing on the polytrack provided some competitive contests as well as highlighting improvers for the future.
Friday evening’s benchmark 83 race over 1100m was won in a blanket finish by Good News from Olympic Anthem and Raise No Doubt with a decent gap to the fourth horse, indicating the form of those three is worth closer examination.
The overall race time was the best relative to standard for the night, nearly 0.8 seconds faster than the next best time, not surprising as this field was clearly the best on the programme.All Good News’ seven wins have been on the polytrack, the last two coming in succession after taking another Benchmark 83 over 1200m 42 days prior. However this win was hard fought as rider Chavez pushed the five-year-old through a narrow opening to gain the prize.
Former Australian galloper and runner up Olympic Anthem who started a short priced favourite continues to race well since coming to Singapore winning twice from just six starts – both coming on the polytrack.Michael Freedman is taking his time with the son of Starcraft who has only been tried once on the turf in Singapore – but all three Australian wins came on that surface including close up fourth placings in the G2 Queensland Guineas and G3 Gunsynd Classic.
The collateral form from those races has been excellent and while Olympic Anthem’s Singapore ratings have yet to reach that level, when and if they do, he will be competitive in better class races than this.On his current ratings profile, Olympic Anthem has around eight pounds in hand on that form.
Third placed Raise No Doubt is another former Australian galloper with scope for upside having been close up behind Sidestep in the G2 Pago Pago Stakes as a juvenile.When taken to Singapore he quickly put three wins together reaching graduation class before losing form.
When switched to the new stable of Stephen Gray in July, Raise No Doubt found winning form at his first run for Gray returning a rating close to his previous peak and not far off his Australian form.Raise No Doubt improved his rating again here from his debut win for Gray and will probably appreciate a return to 1200m. Ratings say he handles both the Turf and polytrack equally as well.
Another Freedman galloper building a nice record in Singapore is Great Sun who recorded a new career peak Timeform rating completing a hat trick of wins all over 1000m on the polytrack – two in class 4 company and last Friday in class 3 company.Great Sun’s overall race time was fast for this grade thanks mainly to the speedy Sebas who made the running. It is also work noting that Great Sun’s first win in Singapore came on turf over 1400m but generally his overall form has excellent collateral form, so his winning run may not be over just yet.
The Great Sun form was further enhanced on Sunday when Speedy Dragon made it two wins from four career runs easily accounting for a class 4 field over 1000m on the polytrack.At his start prior Speedy Dragon had finished second (by half a length) to Great Sun in very fast time and it was little wonder punters honed in on him on Sunday making his a firm $7.00 favourite.
While it is hard to get excited about the opposition that finished behind Speedy Dragon, after tracking the speed into the home straight, once Manoel Nunes released the brakes he accelerated clear to win untroubled.The odds won’t be great but Speedy Dragon looks a repeat winner in the making.
The other winner to take from Sunday is the Leticia Dragon-trained Royal Fortune who made it two wins from as many career starts winning a class 4 over 1100m.Based on the Racing and Sports class time standards, Royal Fortune has run a time well inside the average for this grade and looks set to make further improvement.
Bred in the UK, Royal Fortune is still three by northern hemisphere time but is racing and beating older horses through the grades which augers well for his future.Royal Fortune was very strong to the line here so have no concerns about him stretching out in distance.
Ends..
