 Expert - Larry Foley |
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| Larry Foley has been involved in the Singapore racing industry for 16 years as both as a racing administrator and award winning journalist. Larry is also a regular member of the Singapore Turf Club’s Broadcasting team and has also featured on Tellytrack in South Africa. His form comments on Singapore racing can be found in many countries and in The New Paper, Singapore’s premier racing newspaper. | |
Expert Column for Kranji Mile Day (S1) (Larry Foley)
S1-1 Class 3 Handicap
The first of two Class 3 sprints and an extremely tough one for punters with more than half of the field having serious winning hopes (including both emergencies) but hopefully that depth equates to some value to be found and CHARGER could provide just that. The 3YO won a similar affair in March but subsequently found the two legs of the Three-Year-Old series too tough an assignment. Back to 1,200m with blinkers added first time on the back of a good trial will see a return to form and he should be a solid each-way hope.
I'VE GOT A FEELING has shown he is ready to win again after placing at his last three. The 4YO will appreciate being back on the turf and from barrier 2 you would think John Powell will get all the favours.
The former Kiwi, COMMAND ROYALE, ran on well enough at his Singapore debut to think he wins sooner than later for trainer Donna Logan, although he will need luck after drawing badly in barrier 15.
Of the rest with winning hopes, SKY ROCKET gets the services of Karis Teetan who will be hoping the 4YO can show his form from two starts back where he bolted home on a wet track while a former Hong Kong runner in OCULIST has trialed well enough locally to suggest he can show more in Singapore than he did at eight unplaced runs at Sha Tin and Happy Valley.
SELECTIONS: 6. CHARGER, 2. I'VE GOT A FEELING, 1. COMMAND ROYALE, 8. SKY ROCKET & 14. OCULIST
S1-2 Class 4 Handicap
A very weak Class 4 field and as such, a recent Class dropper in ELISE gets his chance. The 5YO knocked in back-to-back wins in this level back in January and given he struggled in Class 3 and his last three runs have been on the polytrack, he can go forward and show his best back on the turf.
Also in his favour is that nothing jumps off the page to beat him, although ELENA OF AVALOR did the look the winner at stages of her most recent start and certainly appreciates a better gate.
KATAGAS - with Alexis Badel to ride - is also due and while drawn wide in barrier 10, he will get back and be running on strongly with blinkers downgraded to winkers and a tongue-tie added for good measure.
Of the others with winning hopes, PARAGON STAR was very disappointing with support last start but was due prior, while BOARD WALK is honest and a recent good trial has him under notice.
SELECTIONS: 2. ELISE, 9. ELENA OF AVALOR, 3. KATAGAS, 8. PARAGON STAR & 4. BOARD WALK
1ST DOUBLE TRIO SELECTIONS (36 unit bets):
S1-2:
Banker – 2. ELISE
Selections – 9. ELENA OF AVALOR, 3. KATAGAS, 8. PARAGON STAR & 4. BOARD WALK
S1-3:
Banker – 8. YULONG XIONGYIN
Selections – 5. SCORPIO, 2. QUEEN ROULETTE, 1. MR SCORSESE & 13. WONDERFUL KNIGHT
S1-3 Class 3 Handicap
YULONG XIONGYIN was very impressive winning at his Singapore debut and happy to think the former Irish galloper can go on with the job today. Yes, the 4YO is up in Class and drawn awkwardly in barrier 11, however he made every post a winner with support on that occasion and he will be hard to beat in this. He is also the only last start winner in the capacity field although two horses with recent wins to their names in SCORPIO and QUEEN ROULETTE will keep him honest.
SCORPIO in particular has found a rich vein of form since moving to the red-hot Michael Clements stable. His last start placing on the back of three straight wins suggests he goes very close on the back of a nice recent trial.
QUEEN ROULETTE showed (when winning) two starts back that the turf is her preferred surface and like SCORPIO, she finished a close-up third at her most recent outing.
Another horse that loves the turf is WONDERFUL KNIGHT so he looks the big improver back on the turf with a very forward run expected while conversely, MR SCORSESE will be doing his best work late with winkers added a factor dropping back from the mile.
Keep RIVER GOLDEN at each-way odds safe with Alexis Badel a factor; while Karis Teetan’s ride - BENGAL LANCER – should improve on what was a solid Singapore debut with the market best guide.
SELECTIONS: 8. YULONG XIONGYIN, 5. SCORPIO, 2. QUEEN ROULETTE, 1. MR SCORSESE & 13. WONDERFUL KNIGHT
S1-4 Lion City Cup
While there are a few horses - including two 3YO's - trying their luck above their class in Singapore's most prestigious sprint race, the cream should rise to the top and it may be a race in two between COUNTOFMONTECRISTO and last year's winner, LIM'S CRUISER. Nothing separates the pair on paper but LIM'S CRUISER did do it tougher in the Merlion and while drawn wide in barrier 13, he should get a softer run in transit on the more forgiving turf track, and be hard to hold out with Glen Boss a factor.
COUNTOFMONTECRISTO gets to jump from barrier 6, which is definitely in his favour as he can race on pace and should look the winner at some stage late. The 4YO also gives the newly (Singapore) licensed Alysha Collett a big chance to knock in what would be her biggest win.
Interestingly, Michael Rodd jumped off COUNTOFMONTECRISTO to ride boom 3YO, MISTER YEOH, and while this is a huge leap of faith at just his fifth career start in Singapore, he did win the SIN G2 Singapore Three-Year-Old Classic and is the wildcard in this field.
Nothing else jumps off the page to win, however ARAMCO won the SIN G3 Rocket Man Sprint - albeit at handicap conditions - while RAFAELLO will be prominent throughout and FORTUNE WINNER will be flying late.
SELECTIONS: 4. LIM'S CRUISER, 1. COUNTOFMONTECRISTO, 15. MISTER YEOH, 6. ARAMCO & 10. RAFAELLO
S1-5 Singapore Guineas
While a couple of horses, including the exciting NOVA VOCAL, come through other pathways, the SIN G2 Singapore Three-Year-Old Classic is the obviously place to start the form and BE BEE is the horse to beat from that race. The Shane Baertschiger-trained gelding won the SIN G1 Singapore Three-Year-Old Sprint before just missing when running on strongly in the Classic and given the horse that beat him on that occasion - MISTER YEOH - is entered in the SIN G1 Lion City Cup, he will be extremely hard to hold out over the mile.
Others that ran on well over the 1,400m of the Classic, and must be considered, include KING LOUIS, QUARTER BACK and TESORO PRIVADO while LORD OF CLOUD did a ‘PAKISTAN STAR’ and refused to go a yard early when bucking and could be the value runner with 1,600m in his favour.
MR CLINT also ran on strongly from well back in the Classic and while he was never a danger on that occasion, his trainer - Lee Freedman – gave him what was a winning workout last Friday over 1,400m and that could be a masterful move by the Australian Hall-of-Famer.
The wildcard is the 3YO Irish-bred gelding, NOVA VOCAL who burst into Guineas calculations with a very strong win in Class 4 contest last Friday. He had blinkers on for the first time on that occasion and while tested in this level and a query at the trip, he could be one out-of-the-box and give Karis Teetan another feature win in Singapore.
EAGLE EYE - just one of four Ricardo Le Grange runners - impressed when just missing at his Singapore debut in Class 3 contest and given he won at Listed level over 1,400m in Argentina before arriving, he could be a big show in 3YO Company.
SELECTIONS: 1. BE BEE, 15. NOVA VOCAL, 2. EAGLE EYE, 5. TESORO PRIVADO & 8. LORD OF CLOUD
2ND DOUBLE TRIO SELECTIONS (36 unit bets):
S1-5:
Banker – 1. BE BEE
Selections – 15. NOVA VOCAL, 2. EAGLE EYE, 5. TESORO PRIVADO & 8. LORD OF CLOUD
S1-6:
Banker – 1. SOUTHERN LEGEND
Selections – 3. HORSE OF FORTUNE, 5. CIRCUIT LAND, 7. INFANTRY & 4. OCEAN EMPEROR
TREBLE SELECTIONS (27 unit bets):
S1-5: Multiple – 1. BE BEE, 15. NOVA VOCAL & 2. EAGLE EYE
S1-6: Multiple – 1. SOUTHERN LEGEND, 3. HORSE OF FORTUNE & 5. CIRCUIT LAND
S1-7: Multiple – 3. TWICKENHAM, 7. DEE DEE D'OR & 1. BLUE SWEDE
S1-6 Kranji Mile
It’s no secret that Hong Kong horses have dominated Singapore International races in recent years with trainers John Moore and Caspar Fownes with six wins between them.
And while Moore and his much-loved safari suits will be watching on from Hong Kong, Fownes will be saddling SOUTHERN LEGEND who looks extremely hard to beat in the SIN G1 Kranji Mile. The Australian-bred 5YO is in terrific form placing a third and a fourth over the mile at G1 level in 2018 and lead throughout to win over the mile in Class 1 (and PAKISTAN STAR) contest two starts back. Add the bang-in-form Zac Purton and you would think that Casper Fownes can add another Group win to his international CV.
Who beats him? Obviously the Hong Kong form more than stands up so HORSE OF FORTUNE has to be a show on best form, although the fact he hasn’t won since June 2017 and is yet to place at three runs in 2018 is a concern. But he rarely races out of Group Company and a recent sharp trial should hold him in good stead in this field.
The other international invitee is OCEAN EMPEROR from New Zealand and connections would have been ecstatic when he won over the mile at G2 level in March before preparing for this race, and he has to be respected.
Of the locals, CIRCUIT LAND - who had found his level in Hong Kong before relocating to Singapore early in 2018 – took only two runs to show he is up to the best at Kranji when winning the SIN G2 Chairman’s Trophy and given he did it tough in running, he must go close here with Alexis Badel to ride.
CIRCUIT LAND just got the better of INFANTRY on that occasion and the reigning Singapore Horse-of-the-Year has to be respected as he is honest, tough and more than handles the occasion with Singapore Champion jockey, Vlad Duric, to ride.
The interesting runner is the ex-Kiwi G1 winner, VOLKSTOK'N'BARRELL, who makes his local debut for trainer Donna Logan, and while he should need longer to show his very best and has never won first-up before, he certainly has some class on his side and could make it interesting late.
ELITE EXCALIBUR and PREDITOR are two others to include in exotics but they may be a yard or three behind the Hong Kong raiders.
SELECTIONS: 1. SOUTHERN LEGEND, 3. HORSE OF FORTUNE, 5. CIRCUIT LAND, 7. INFANTRY & 4. OCEAN EMPEROR
S1-7 Kranji Stakes A
A terrific race to finish what is arguably the best days racing seen in Singapore in many years, and while perhaps not quite up to WFA Group level, a few of the runners would not have been out of place in the SIN G1 Kranji Mile.
At the top of the weights, two Shane Baertschiger runners in BLUE SWEDE and BEST TOTHELIGN look suited over the mile to run big races and both will be working into winning calculations late.
Likewise, SONG TO THE MOON will be working into the prize money over the final furlong while down in the weights, AOTEAROA and WINNING CAUSE will also be closing fast late and cannot be discounted, although this field is obviously a step up from Kranji Stakes B Company.
But it may be a couple of important jockey bookings that make the difference in this race. Zac Purton replaces an apprentice on TWICKENHAM and given the 7YO is coming off a very nice trial that change is significant, while DEE DEE D'OR is due and Alexis Badel from barrier 2 will give him very chance.
SELECTIONS: 3. TWICKENHAM, 7. DEE DEE D'OR, 1. BLUE SWEDE, 2. BEST TOTHELIGN & 12. WINNING CAUSE
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